Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

Deborah Wiles combines historical fiction with newspapers, speeches and testimonials in order to immerse you in the struggles of 1964. Her previous work Countdown was a strong contender for the 2011 Newbery. Do you think Revolution could see an award in 2015?

I'm so excited this is the July read. I met her this weekend at ALA. Countdown was amazing, if this exceeds that we're all in for a treat!

I definitely felt Countdown was overlooked for the Newbery that year. Now I think Revolution has the potential to snag two ALA awards (Newbery and Coretta Scott King) a la One Crazy Summer. The way Wiles incorporates photos and excerpts from speeches and newspaper articles really appeals to me. Reading one of her books seems equivalent to taking a mini-class on that moment in history. Her story lines are touching and realistic, and have a nice balance of heartache and happiness. I am really looking forward to the third book in this series.

Pretty sure Deb Wiles is not eligible for a CSK Award. Don't you have to be a writer or illustrator of color?

I loved Countdown as well and was disappointed it got nothing. It was a frustrating as The Lions of Little Rockbeing snubbed. I have high hopes for Revolution.

Just finished Revolution and feel it is an incredible book. The layout and design, similar to Countdown, is so intriguing with the news releases, song lyrics, and photos. The characters in this book are memorable and each has an interesting story easily relevant to readers.

Suzy wrote: "Pretty sure Deb Wiles is not eligible for a CSK Award. Don't you have to be a writer or illustrator of color?"

I thought it was about the content; I could be mistaken, though.

Jenni wrote: "Suzy wrote: "Pretty sure Deb Wiles is not eligible for a CSK Award. Don't you have to be a writer or illustrator of color?"

I thought it was about the content; I could be mistaken, though."

Actually the guidelines say "The Award is given to an African American author and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions. The Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream of a pluralistic society."

This is my favorite book so far this year. I really loved the format when I read Countdown, however, I was disappointed in the actual story in Countdown, which I felt was superficial, did not connect to the characters, and felt a lot of it was underdeveloped. So, I was kind of expecting the same thing with this book, interesting documentation, blah story. Fortunately I was wrong. This story really connected with me, I felt it did a good job giving the feel and emotions of Freedom Summer, which is something I am ashamed to admit I knew very little about. I think this is a wonderful book.

My feelings about the two books are very similar to Kara's. One other thing I feel is done much better in Revolution is there is less shifting between narrative voices. In the alternating "history" sections of Countdown, the POV actually changed to "looking back," and there was a bit of whiplash switching back and forth between the present day story and the "lessons," (if you will.) I didn't have this problem at all in Revolution, which managed to convey its documentary elements without that POV shift.

Marcie wrote: "Jenni wrote: "Suzy wrote: "Pretty sure Deb Wiles is not eligible for a CSK Award. Don't you have to be a writer or illustrator of color?"

I thought it was about the content; I could be mistaken, t..."

Well, if it was for content, this book certainly would be a shoe in! I hope Wiles doesn't get overlooked for the Newbery again.

Revolution does some very interesting things. Each page is something you need to take in and appreciate. The pictures speak as much as the text, and reading it is an experience. I thought this book was exceptional.

I loved this one and Countdown. I loved how the song lyrics were woven into the images and found myself humming them and looking for them on iTunes! It gave the story a completely different dimension.

Hi everyone! Like most of you, I love this book. Reading this book makes me feel like I lived through that summer. I'm wondering how you think your students will respond to this book, though? Will they be as interested in the historical sections as we were? Will they have the stamina to get through it? What do you think?

Annie wrote: "Hi everyone! Like most of you, I love this book. Reading this book makes me feel like I lived through that summer. I'm wondering how you think your students will respond to this book, though? Will ..."

I think Revolution and Countdown would be best enjoyed by students as a classroom read. Also, kids may enjoy a family read aloud with grandma/grandpa or other relative who was a teen during the 1960s.

Just finished reading Revolution. The connection between the quotes, photographs and other item from the 60's enhanced the text. Also found the connection with with recent non-fiction books good and think relating pure non fiction with Revolution would be a good lesson. My only concern is are we adult readers too connected to the 60's ourselves. I know connection to Countdiwn was enhanced by my having lived in the same area during the same time frame. Still think it is a strong contender for an award.

I did really like this, not as much as Countdown, but it was great: http://revingsblog.blogspot.com/2014/...

This book contains so much information about a time of change in our country. I love th way the author mixes the factual information and the fiction. Because I am a child of the 60's I found myself saying aloud that I did not want to read this quote or see this picture again. There is a lot in the book, perhaps too much for students below grade 6 or 7 to grasp. I read the story, but skimmed the facts. CSK worthy yes, but not my pick for Newbery.

I found myself skimming more of the story and looking more for the facts and the anecdotes. The pictures and stories about real people left me chocked up. I love this, but not as much as Countdown. Great read.

I guess I'll have to try the third time to get through this book. There is so much info, and I felt stilted by the POV, that I kept putting it down. I could see the effort and detail more than the story.