Are You My Newbery? What I'm Thinking

This year I've been actively involved in two real life Mock Newbery Book Clubs.  I've followed and contributed to the Goodreads discussion and I'll be at the St. Joseph County Public Library's adult discussion on January 8th.  The award will be chosen on January 10, 2011 and I hope to be watching it with my book club at 10:45.

Last year, when I read When You Reach Me, I truly felt amazed and in awe of the book as a whole. It had "newbery" written all over it.  This year, there are so many good books out there, it's been harder to even choose my top 7, let alone "the" book.  So, I'm going to list all the books I've read so far, in the hopes that at least 7 will stand out for me.

In order read:

1. 8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
   
2. Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen
3. Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
4. Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer
5. Meanwhile by Jason Shiga
6. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzales
7. Sweet, Hereafter by Angela Johnson
8. The Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter
9. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
10. Cardturner by Louis Sachar
11. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
12. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
13. Countdown by Deborah Wiles
14. Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn
15. Paper Daughter by Jeanette Ingold
16. Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School by Andrew Clements
17. The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
18. The Dreamer by Patricia Munoz Ryan
19. Ubiquitous by Joyce Sidman
20. Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry
21. The Boneshaker by Kate Milford
22. After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
23. The Adventures of Jack Lime by James Leck
24. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
25. Sit In by Andrea Davis Pinckney
26. Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos
27. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
28. Keeper by Kathi Appelt
29. The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
30. The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
31. The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee Frazier
32. The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt
33. The Night Fairy by Laura Schlitz
34. The Familiars by Epstein and Jacobson
35. The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi
36. Stuck on Earth by David Klass
37. Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst
38. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
39. Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
40. Jake by Audrey Couloumbis
41. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
42. Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol by Jim Krieg
43. Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
44. Saving Sky by Diane Stanley
45. The Called Themselves the KKK by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
46. As Easy As Falling off The Face of the Earth by Lynn Rae Perkins
47. The Danger Box by Blue Balliett (159p)
48. Yummy by G. Neri
49. Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers
50. Finding Family by Tonya Bolden
51. Bink and Gollie by DiCamillo and McGhee
52. What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb
53. Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
54. Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord
55. Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
56. Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman
57. A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
58. Scumble by Ingrid Law
59. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
60. Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
61. Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool
62. Hero by Mike Lupica
63. Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner
64. Dark Emperor by Joyce Sidman
65. Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
66. Best Friends Forever by Beverly Platt
67. The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor
68. The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton

I know the committee members read a ton more! I have some titles here at home I want to tackle before the January 6th.  My students are voting for their Top 3 right now too!

Ok, here's what I'm picking, as of December 22, 2010.  Note that I've only re-read Keeper, Cardturner, and Conspiracy so far.

In no particular order

• Cardturner by Louis Sachar
• Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
• Saving Sky by Diane Stanley
• Keeper by Kathi Appelt
• Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
• Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

Phew, that was difficult and I'm still wavering! I will write up some reasons for each one and post those before my meeting.

Are there any books you think I really need to read?  What are your top picks?

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