Ivy’s Comments (group member since Jan 22, 2017)

Ivy’s comments from the Mock Newbery 2026 group.

The books I read this year were good, but not incredibly memorable, which is disappointing. Many of them were hard to read (while staying awake). I was really excited about several, but found myself disappointed.

It seems the ones that win the Newbery are the ones I had a hard time reading, but the Honors are the ones I truly enjoyed.

So... here are my votes for Newbery Honors!

Tree. Table. Book
Max in the House of Spies (also popular with students)
Ferris
Olivetti
The Night War
Hank Hooperman

1. Labors of Hercules Beal
2. Mona Lisa Vanishes
3. First Time for Everything

I very much enjoyed this! I set it down for a few days, and then read over half in one sitting to finish it. I hope it wins something.

It took me awhile to get into it (like 5 pages), but then I couldn’t stop. He has such a way with words. I appreciated the humor in this one.

I may be in the minority here, but I thought it was kind of boring. It had the potential to be great, but I wasn’t sucked in and struggled to finish.

I agree that it was surprising how much I enjoyed it. I appreciated the format. Not sure it’s newbery worthy, but it is a very important topic, and I’ve already put it into the hands of some of my students who need it.

The book is fine. It's not my favorite by Yang. My main complaint is that while it gives a great perspective of ADHD, most children I know with ADHD won't be able to stick with a 350+ page book unless it's action-packed. There are exceptions to this, of course, but my daughter and many of my students with ADHD need quicker reads or they'll lose focus. I DO think this will be popular once the pandemic is over (will it ever be over?!) and kids want to know what COVID was all about!

I've tried to read this 3 times and just couldn't get into it. I like her writing and the voice behind the narrator, but maybe I'll appreciate it more as an audiobook. I do not see my students giving it a chance.

I have a soft spot for Dan Santat, and I know this novel came from a place of love. That being said, it wasn't my favorite of his books. I've noticed a trend of books with an environmental or justice theme, which I appreciate as a teacher, since I encourage my students to research topics related to justice. I thought of The Aquanaut while visiting Sea World this month. Yikes. I don't think it's a Newbery title, but I do think it will be a hit in my class this fall.

I enjoyed Wolf Hollow, but it wasn't my favorite of Wolk's novels. I did enjoy this one, however. It had been awhile since reading Wolf Hollow, and while I wish I'd been caught up a little in this book, I didn't feel it was necessary to enjoy this one. While her writing is definitely going to appeal to a more mature reader, I think the mystery and the animal theme will appeal to a wider range.

Before I read this book, I gave it to a student who is vocal about her struggles with being overweight. She said it was the best book she read this past year. It was accurate and she felt empowered to stand up for herself. She started reporting when others said stuff about her or other overweight students. It does seem like the character faces a lot of trauma, but there are a lot of books that are “windows” that I can’t relate to, but I get to see into a perspective I haven’t experienced.

Not my favorite, but I’m generally not a fantasy reader outside of Harry Potter. I do have a sixth grader who finished today and can’t stop talking about it, though! Sometimes kids and adults have very different perspectives of what a winner is.

I’m almost done with Elatsoe, and I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t win something. I also really enjoyed Game of Fox and Squirrels. My favorite of the year is still We Dream of Space.

Thanks Shari! I bought the hardcover, but let a student take it home before we left (and before I read it). I'm not sure I'll ever see it again. I can afford $0.99!

I demand a recount! Just kidding, but I’m agreeing with everyone here when we say there were so many great books that deserved recognition. I read 110 books last year, but Merci Suarez, nor Boy, were on my list of favorites. I loved The Night Diary. I am going to start keeping a separate shelf for all of my 2019 books so my sixth graders can pick their own favorites (though guaranteed it will be a graphic novel or Wimpy Kid).

I see the Newbery as a little like the Oscars... not necessarily the most entertaining, but well-made. I enjoyed Hello, Universe but it wasn’t my favorite. I thought Crown was really well-written, but I also like Newbery to be a chapter book. I thought Long Way Down was well-written, engaging, and emotional, but Jason Reynolds can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. I am not a fan of YA or picture books as Newbery either.

I share library cards with friends in other areas and read a lot of ebooks and listen to audiobooks. My library is ok but not great. If there’s a great title I have to read right away, I may splurge and buy it on Amazon, but only if I can put it into my classroom library (sixth grade). I have a wishlist for birthdays and Christmas that my family and friends know about. I haven’t had much luck finding great titles on Net Galley, but I haven’t been on long. I wait for Scholastic to get the books and use my points to buy them.

Refugee
The Someday Birds
Wishtree

I really wanted to like this. I read it aloud to my class and we both wanted it to end. I felt like it was all over the place and definitely odd.