How to use this Page

In preparation for the SLJ Pre-Game / Post-Game Show each year I try to collect all the Mock elections for Newbery or Caldecott or Printz or Sibert or Coretta Scott King or really anything that’s out there.  It’s mildly exhausting and you’re always bound to miss someone somewhere.  Last year I dutifully collected the Mocks in a post but it still seemed strange that I was the only one compiling them.  Happily this year ALSC is doing the work for me.  The following message was posted on several children’s literature listservs.  If you’ve a Mock Election coming up (or that has already happened) please note the following (and check out the huge amount of winners they’ve already posted!!).

Every year, libraries and schools around North America offer Mock Election programs in preparation for the annual Youth Media Awards.  These discussions are a great opportunity for children?s literature aficionados to gather and discuss a topic they love, and to learn more about some of the great, recently published books for kids.

A page is being developed on the ALSC Blog with as many of the results from this year’s Mock Elections as can be found. Check it out here. You can also find this tab on the homepage of the ALSC Blog.

If you are a library, school, bookstore, discussion group, blog, MLIS class, or other group of interested readers, we’d love to include the results of your mock elections of young people’s literature.  Send off the names of your mock winner and honor titles to [email protected] with other pertinent information you would like to share, including the name of your library, your city/state, a url to your library and/or Mock Election site, the number of participants, and a contact name & email for further information. We look forward to posting a wide variety of results!

Check back often to see what titles are being selecting in Youth Media Award Mock Elections, feel free to share this page widely, and stay tuned to find out the real winners as they are announced at the Midwinter Conference on January 11, 2016 in Boston.

Happy reading!  Happy discussing!

Mary

Mary R. Voors

ALSC Blog manager

Committee results from left to right: the two Caldecott groups, Geisel, and Sibert.

My children’s lit students just met for the last time, and we spent most of our three-hour class in mock book award groups. I had been thinking about trying mock awards in this short six-week module for a few years, but this year Maleka Donaldson Gramling, the terrific course TF, thought it would be worth reconfiguring some tried and true aspects of the course to make room for this lengthy process. I am happy to report that it was worth it. The students had lively and informed discussions and proved that they really have learned a few things over the past few weeks.

In working out the logistics, I relied heavily on advice from Calling Caldecott readers. With 23 students and a handful of auditors, we ended up with four committees: two for Caldecott and one each for Geisel and Sibert. Each student nominated one or two books and tonight they completed the project, meeting in committees (we separated the two Caldecotts into two different rooms), presenting each book, discussing, and voting. You can see a photo of the results above. Here is the full list.

Caldecott committee #1 had an even number of members and after several ballots were still in a dead tie. The final decision was made by coin toss:

• Winner:
  The Adventures of Beekle by Dan Santat
• Honor Book:
  The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Hadley Hooper

Caldecott committee #2 had a more traditional experience:

• Winner:
  The Noisy Paintbox by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary GrandPre
• Honor Books:
  - Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo
  - The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Hadley Hooper

Geisel committee choices:

• Winner:
  You are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant
• Honor Book:
  Tippy and the Night Parade by Lilly Carré

And the Sibert committee — the largest group — chose:

• Winner:
  Eye to Eye by Steve Jenkins
• Honor Books:
  – The Right Word by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
  – The Noisy Paintbox by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary GrandPre

The deliberations were fueled by snacks and each group had an instructor t0 help keep discussion focused on award criteria. I am so grateful to Maleka for moderating the Geisel group and to Lauren Adams (unofficial discussion facilitator and Adolescent Lit instructor) who oversaw the Sibert group. I bounced between the two rooms and helped the Caldecott groups.

What do you all think? Students? Other blog readers? Do you like their results? After all, part of the real committee experience is dealing with the post-decision social media fallout.

The post Mock book award results | 2015 appeared first on The Horn Book.

When you dine at the New England Culinary Institute, only the best will do.

Unfortunately, I was so busy working on my book I forgot how to dine among the good gentlemen and gentleladies of Kindling Words. I had to brush up on table manners before I walked into the dining room. No way was I going to be caught dead selecting the wrong fork in front of Gregory Maguire.

It's good to have good people looking out for you. My culinary consultant, Chuck, passed along these helpful, courteous hints-- and let me tell you, no one at Kindling noticed I was once a mouth-stuffer. ;>

Save this for future reference. You, too, could be guilty of putting your butter knife on the wrong plate.


This is how we do it: stretching the brain, putting fire in the fingertips, before the day begins