Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

The Lion of Mars, by Jennifer L. Holm, takes place on Mars but isn't about Mars. Instead it is a coming of age story.
This is a great way to start off our 2022 reading.

What did you think of it?

I really wanted to love this one, but it got really slow and I struggled through it. I worry that kids will have the same issue and it will be one that is started a lot but never finished.

After finishing THE LION OF MARS by Jennifer Holms, I believed that I had actually been to Mars. The setting is so clearly described along with the scientific details of surviving in a hostile environment. The characters are unique and their interactions are believable as they adapt to a new life style. I could not stop reading as the story pulled me into the book. The virus that attacks the community and the conflict among cultures from different countries provide insights into contemporary issues.

I liked this story and thought the plot moved at a reasonable pace. Most of the characters were well developed. I liked Bell and thought he grew throughout the book. I did not like this as much as Jennifer Holm's historical fiction books. It was a solid read but not special.

Holm knows how to tell a story. It started slow (Will we lose kids here?), but soon I was completely engaged. There were lots of unanswered questions such as how were the infants selected to go to Mars? Did they parents voluntarily give them up? The ideal of the Mars community being a "pride" was not fully developed. Still a good read and a great way to start the 2022 Mock Newbery.

Finished Lion of Mars with my 8 yr old daughter last night. She loved it, I thought it was slow in the beginning. It was a good book, but I would be very surprised if it won a Newbery.

Enjoyable story. I enjoyed this interview that Colby Sharp posted with Jennifer Holm about Lion of Mars. You might enjoy it, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBMa1...

Thanks Mary for posting that link!!

This was well timed for the Mars Rover landing obviously, and astonishingly, with these pandemic times. It's a very tidy package of science, relationships between friends, between children and adults, between kids and teens, and how to get along cooped up with the same people day after day. Sound familiar? Holm brings her trademark feeling for well-intentioned protagonists trying to figure out the mysteries of their world (and Mars provides many of them) along with learning the rules and regulations of social life. Great abundance of realistic details of what sustaining life on Mars would take, with some tragedy, life cycle themes and international politics, not to mention all the science. And the cover is so appealing, well done there. Bell is indeed a heroic protagonist but just as important, so is the SCIENCE. A sure thing for Reader's Advisory, if not for the Newbery.

I loved Full of Beans and Turtle in Paradise, so I had high hopes for this new novel by Holm. Though I enjoyed reading the book, cheering on the characters and imagining how life would differ on Mars, I didn't find it to have the same level of engaging characterization as those past works, nor did it offer an allegorical or in-depth exploration of the ties that bind humans together often found in science fiction. As a result, it seemed a bit flat and lacking in depth for me. Also, even though the ending resolved the immediate conflicts at work in the story, it did not show us how this resolution would fare in relation to the intriguing state of affairs hinted at on Earth. So, in that sense, it felt unresolved to me. I think kids wouldn't worry about the second concern of mine and would simply enjoy it as an exciting adventure story in space, but I'm not sure that I see it garnering any awards.

I'm a huge fan of Jenny Holm, and enjoy her science fiction books, The Fourteenth Goldfish is a favorite. What I appreciated most about The Lion of Mars was the nurturing interactions shared between the often quirky children and caring knowledgeable adults, in their space colony. Told through the eyes of 11-year-old Bell, who has never lived on earth, the red fine dust on Mars' surface, types of robots, innovative space vehicles, digi-slates, and lots of food created from algae grown in the farm on their ship, to name a few believable details, make their colony life so intriguing. The most suspenseful parts of the story, involve thrilling adventures depicting great sacrifices and bravery these young space travelers exhibit, while helping one another try to survive in outer space. This is a read kids will relish.

This was a good read. I appreciate how Holm's showed possible problems with living Mars. this would be a great book to work on critical thinking and cause kids to dig in more to the possibility of actually living Mars. I'm currently reading a book from last year, Orion Lost that would be a good companion to the Lion of Mars.

I liked Lion of Mars, but I felt that Sai's decisions in some cases seemed unrealistic, which made the plot feel a little manipulated. However, if one accepts Sai's decisions as they are what they are, then the story works fine. And I do like the characters, their environment, and their challenges.

I agree with some of the other comments here - slow to start and some story elements left unexplained. But I think Holm once again knows her audience and created an accessible novel with unique and thoughtful world-building that will hook them. Engaging and comprehensible science fiction for 8-12 year olds in under 300p feels rare. Lion of Mars is also a story about relationships. In fact, Bell's coping with the sudden loss of Phineas was moving, vulnerable and authentic, and yet approachable for the reader. I enjoyed Lion of Mars and will definitely suggest it to students. Although I would be satisfied in the end if it won the Newbery, I'm hopeful there are more distinguished titles coming our way in 2021.

Lion of Mars has some really engaging ideas which many kids will really enjoy, especially if they are interested in Mars. There was clearly a lot of research and passion that went into writing this book. As a Newbery, however, I agree with others above: I felt the character development was somewhat lacking. It took a really long time to figure out what the true problem was in the book. Occasionally, there were not enough details in some situations which left me wondering, for example: what was happening on Earth and the disparity of resources within the countries on Mars.
I didn't hand the book to my kids excitedly like I often do.

I really loved the premise of this one, but the story fell sort of flat for me. Pacing felt inconsistent & I was alternately interested & really bored. For me, this one was a big disappointment. Its structure, story, character development, etc. all seem to be at a significantly lower level than other books and am not totally sure why it’s been included as a contender...author reputation? Premise?

I enjoyed this book. I didn't just love it like I did the Fourteenth Goldfish. I love the innocence of Bell, but for me, he felt young, younger than his age in some instances. I needed a little more depth and maturity. I love the idea of a story about living on Mars, but this one was just a cute story, not one that will stick with me long-term.

I agree that more character development was needed. I did not feel vested with the individual characters- but with them as a colony. Perhaps that was what the author was going for? I was satisfied with the unanswered questions- I think these would springboard meaningful discussions. Quite a bit was given for the reader to infer. I thought it had a great climax, falling action, resolution. The theme development was my favorite part. I appreciated a unique setting and conflict. Still have not decided if this would be Newbery material.

I am a big fan of Jennifer L. Holm's historical fiction middle grade work, like "Penny from Heaven" and "Turtle in Paradise".

"The Lion of Mars" was definitely different from these prior works. Like others have said, the beginning was kind of slow. However, the pace did pick up later on in the book.

I found the themes of loneliness and isolation very striking, especially considering this was written before covid-19 lockdowns and social distancing.

Other topics were also explored, like the importance of teamwork, friendship, communication.

Overall, I enjoyed this and thought it was good. However, it didn't feel like Newbery material.

Good observation about pre-COVID!

I don't see a Newbery here.
I agree with many of you - the pacing felt off, and the characters unevenly developed. Jennifer L Holm's success may be doing her a disservice at this point, as I felt her publisher rushed this book. It needed more editing! Concept was great, but it felt like a 2nd draft.

We needed more about our main character, his sibs, more to support the title... maybe clues about the children on the other settlements could have been sprinkled in - like, maybe a secret message could have been sent with kitty by the other kids! Or on the computer, Bell could have thought he was communicating with aliens, but it was the other kids and turns out the other kids thought he was an alien, too?!

I don't know, but more should have happened in the start/middle, and the illness crises should have been the climax. The teen dance party should have been the last scene, with Sai and Lu doing a tango or something! Instead, the climactic even of the book was in the middle and dragged with multiple brief event descriptions boring me before the kids finally went for help.

I want more sci fi set in space for middle grade, but this one didn't live up to my hopes. Give your students Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee or Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi, instead, for space fun and Fourteenth Goldfish for great Jennifer L Holm fun.

I loved this story! I didn't find any of it slow or boring. I read it in 2 days, because I had a hard time putting it down. Holm's story pulled me in from the beginning, and kept me going, wanting to know what was going to happen next. I did think that the idea of the pride was clearly presented and thoughtfully developed. I thought Holm did a great job of bringing the various child characters to life. Commander Sai and Phinneus were the most developed and vivid of the adult characters. Most of the problems that the American colony faced were due to the fact that Commander Sai had let a root of bitterness grow up in his heart, so that he refused to reconcile with the other countries' colonies. He also inadvisably allowed the Earth Command to dictate his actions. Anyway, even if this book does not garner any awards, I believe that kids who are already science fiction fans will also like this story.

I agree, Beverly - kids love this book, I haven't seen our library copy since it was processed and I read it, it's constantly checked out!

I enjoyed this book and was delighted that it was free of school bullies, which are the focus of so many other middle grade children's books. I've finally found a book I can suggest to my home schooled grandchildren.