Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk has been chosen as the 2018 Mock Newbery pick on the Goodreads Listopia list. What did you think of it?

To see the list and rankings so far:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

This was a wonderful book. It is definitely a Newbery contender. During the first five chapters, I found myself looking up the Elizabeths Islands on the Internet. This was new information to me. There was not one dull part of this book. Brilliant!

The strength of BEYOND THE BRIGHT SEA is the characterizations of Crow, Osh and Miss Maggie. They were delineated as real people who I would want to know.
I was also interested in the inclusion of leprosy, a disease that we hear very little about in the current era.
I thought the weakness was the buried treasure storyline. I found it difficult to believe the frenzy over rumors of a collection of stuff.
Although this is not my favorite book of this year, the strong characters do make it a contender.

This was perhaps my favorite children's read in 2017. A fresh perspective on the search for identity, I especially appreciated the historical elements of the story - the island, its inhabitants, etc. It was hard to put down and swept me into another place and time. Definitely a Newbery contender!

Strong characters and beautiful writing makes this book very, very special. I enjoyed learning about a bit of history I new nothing about. I found myself googling the Elizabeths Islands. The leprosy but was interesting and heartbreaking. The author creates a world that is full and tender and loving. Some mysteries are not to be solved, and that’s okay. Now that the book is finished, I will miss Osh, Ms. Maggie, Crow, Mouse and the islands. I really liked Wolf Hollow ( first novel by the author), but I liked this better! I believe it is a strong contender for the Newbery.

I read this in the summer but really didn't like it very much. https://revingsblog.blogspot.com/2017...

I read "Beyond the Bright Sea" in the summer and enjoyed it - gave it 4.5/5 on my personal scale. At this point, the only Newbery contenders I've rated higher this year are "The Someday Birds", "Wishtree", "Train I Ride", and "Amina's Voice". I've got a stack to read over the next 2 weeks, so may find another gem or two there! Happy Holidays!

My Newbery pick too! Tender and insightful, a poignant read for this mom, whose life has been profoundly impacted by adoption.

I loved Wolf Hollow, despite/because of (?) its somber and tragic parts, so was excited for Beyond the Bright Sea. Wolk is a masterful storyteller; her choice of words is brilliant - almost poetic in parts, but her strength in character development really shines -- as others have already pointed out. I loved the storyline-- in a time and place we do not see often in historical fiction, and with a mystery to be solved. I feel this is a strong contender!

I liked the character and the way the author showed the relationships change as Crow struggles to understand herself. I still like Refugee as my Newbery pick, but this book is on my short list!

I loved this novel. I agree with everyone who stated that the characterizations were very strong. Her description of the setting and the history of leprosy on Penikese was masterful as well. The treasure hunt gave a bit of adventure that I think kid readers needed more than adult readers. My sons appreciated that part of the storyline much more than I did. Growing up near Cape Cod, this was a piece of Massachusetts history that I knew very little about and was pleased to be enlightened. This is in my top three and I hope it gets a nod this year.

I see that this won the Scott O'Dell award for Historical Fiction. I don't feel as positively about it.

I felt as though the leprosy angle was more of a plot device than an organic part of the narrative. Placing the setting in a standard New England location rather than the two more unusual - and historically more important - settings of the Hansen's Disease story - Louisiana and Hawaii - was a missed opportunity.

And the characters, while appealing, were fairly standard.

I much preferred Wolk's WOLF HOLLOW.