Mock Newbery Committee 2017

Yesterday marked our second annual Northview Mock Newbery Committee Meeting and Banquet!  A highly anticipated day.  Thirty-nine fourth grade readers from across our district (three elementaries), began preparing for this in early October.  My fellow teacher-librarians, Carrie Davies, Leah Pietrusza and I selected 13 books for this year's committee to read and consider...and read they did! In total the committee read 349 books!

Like last year, our committee meeting was held in the board room at our administration building. Arriving by bus, the students were greeted by our Superintendent, Director of People, and a school board member.

At each committee member's seat was a gift bag.  Inside, their official Newbery Committee notebook and water bottle, a Newbery book list, a bookmark from Victoria Coe (the author of one of our selections), and of course  a book!  Each student received his/her own copy of a previous Newbery winning book!

After some quick introductions, we were "in session".

Students met throughout the day in smaller subcommittees to discuss a particular book that they had read.  The insightful, meaningful conversations were incredible.

"When I look at this book I feel that the illustrations are what make it great.  We should really think about it for a Caldecott instead of a Newbery."

"This story really drew me in.  From the very beginning I cared...about the characters and the story."

In between subcommittee meetings we were able to hear from some of our distinguished authors! We are so grateful that they took time to share with our students.

Jenni Holm

Peter Brown

Lynn Plourde

After completing their subcommittee work, students took time to collect their thoughts and reflect upon what they had read, what they had heard and what they had discussed.

Taking their thoughts, each committee member was assigned to a group where they would have the opportunity to "champion" their book of choice.  Again, thoughtful, meaningful, insightful, amazing!

"WISH was a story that...well...I can't put it in words (touching heart)...It just grabbed me right here!"-fourth grader

"PAX was really sad at the end, but I understood why.  Pax needed to be with Runt, even though he missed Peter.  He knew Runt needed him even more.  Peter knew that, too." -fourth grader

"MAXI'S SECRETS told you the end at the beginning, and that made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen to get to the end." -fourth grader

"I think PAX was about Love.  Because sometimes when you love something, you have to let it go."

 -fourth grader

"I really like FULL OF BEANS.  I like how the author wrote about a real city...that really existed.  I liked that it was historical fiction.  -fourth grader

"WOLF HOLLOW was really all about empathy, and that's why I loved it!"-fourth grader

Finally, the time had come.  Each committee member cast his/her vote.

The committee chose four honor books!

And the winner of the 2017 Northview Mock Newbery Medal...

Congratulation Mock Newbery Committee.  You represented yourselves and our school district so very well!