Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

The Newbery committee has awarded the medal to:

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos



With honors awarded to:

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai


Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Like clockwork the awards come once a year. Readers, authors, and publishers set their sights on January and the annual medals. Once announced some feel disappointed, while others are satisfied.

How did you feel about the 2012 choices?

Even though we try,we cannot see things as the committee does. I can be disappointed, but then the fun is in the reading of the books and attempting predictions. I may not be happy, but there is always next year.

I'm just happy that Inside Out and Back Again became an honor book. I agree with June, you may not be happy, but there is always next year.

I was surprised that there were only 2 honor books. I am still a little in mourning. I LOVED Okay for Now! and I think it was my favorite book of the year but deep down knew that it wouldn't get the Medal. Oh well! I enjoyed Inside Out... And look forward to reading Dead End in Norvelt and Breaking Stalin's Nose. Our library doesn't have them yet.

I agree Charlotte! Did anyone have the winner even in their radar? Need to add Dead end in Norvelt to my to-read list. Happy for Jack Gantos!

I've only read Inside Out and Back Again, but one of my coworkers read all 3 and approved of the choices - she was just telling us all last week about how great Breaking Stalin's Nose is. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on them. I do know there was a bit of discussion on Dead End at Heavy Medal, but I hadn't heard any buzz for Breaking Stalin's Nose - I always like at least one surprise! (Although I'm happier when it's a surprise that I happened to have bought for the library already.)

I was mostly disappointed because I hoped for more honors and more variety - another year full of historical fiction!

Interesting that the Mock Newbery short list for SLJ Journal did not include any of the three although both Dead End and Inside Out were discussed earlier. I really think the "best" book - the Newbery winner - is dependent upon who happens to be on the committee for any particular year.

I liked Inside Out and it has a few haunting passages, but I wouldn't have chosen it over several other 2011 books. I need to check, but it seems that realistic, present-day books don't get the honors very often. I, too, wish there had been more honor books.

One of my co-workers asked me last week if I had a prediction for the Newbery. I told her I didn't know what would be awarded, but I said that Dead End in Norvelt was my favorite this year, but I don't think it will get any recognition. So glad to be wrong! I loved Okay for Now and was surprised it wasn't even an honor book, but perhaps the committee had the same plot problems that a lot of other people had.

I agree with Holden in that my favorites were A Monster Calls and Okay for Now, but I also enjoyed Dead End in Norvelt(which has one of the funniest scenes I've read in a long time) and Inside Out. I also loved Breadcrumbs. Wish there was more variety in the Newbery genre too, as well as more Honor books. On to next year!

I was surprised but pleased that Dead End in Norvelt was the winner. I really enjoyed it but thought the committee would find it too quirky to recognize. I personally enjoyed Inside Out & Back Again, and thought the verse style worked very well for a character who was wasn't an English speaker, but became one. Have Breaking Stalin's Nose on hold. I did admire other books this year including Okay for Now, and hoped that some nonfiction, like Amelia Lost might have been recognized. While I love reading Historical Fiction, I think the committee needs to branch out with the Honor picks to other genres.

I was surprised but pleased that Dead End in Norvelt was the winner. I really enjoyed it but thought the committee would find it too quirky to recognize. I personally enjoyed Inside Out & Back Again, and thought the verse style worked very well for a character who was wasn't an English speaker, but became one. Have Breaking Stalin's Nose on hold. I did admire other books this year including Okay for Now, and hoped that some nonfiction, like Amelia Lost might have been recognized. While I love reading Historical Fiction, I think the committee needs to branch out with the Honor picks to other genres.

Like others, I am surprised at the winner, Dead End in Norvelt, although it was one of the 20 books my kids considered for our Mock Newbery (along with Inside Out & Back Again). Their choice was Wonderstruck, I loved Okay for Now, and Breaking Stalin's Nose wasn't even on our radar.

Holden wrote: "I was pretty disapointed -- I read 2 of the 3 (Dead End, Inside Out) and was underwhelmed by both. Though Dead End was certainly GOOD, it wasn't NEWBERY good, in my mind, to the degree that Okay f..."

I have to agree. I read the same 2 and did n't find them particularly noteworthy. I love Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key and all the other books in this series by Gantos, but did n't find Norvelt very cohesive. I wish they would choose more than 3 books, as there were a lot of good ones this year. I think Goodreads is turning out to be a better reflection of what is good and worthy, honestly.

Holden wrote: "I was pretty disapointed -- I read 2 of the 3 (Dead End, Inside Out) and was underwhelmed by both. Though Dead End was certainly GOOD, it wasn't NEWBERY good, in my mind, to the degree that Okay f..."
I agree with you!I too was underwhelmed by Dead End and Inside Out. I liked Dead End but did not see it as a Newbery, but loved Okay for Now and Monster Calls.

I was fortunate enough to attend the ALAYMA on Monday, and it was so exciting! Even though the books I read didn't win (Inside Out, Breadcrumbs, and Monster Calls), I didn't walk out disappointed because I was so thrilled to be there. I have Norvelt in my bookstack. .

Just finished reading the last of the winners,Breaking Stalin's Nose, and was very underwhelmed. To me the characters felt very flat more like stock characterizations rather than real individuals that I could relate to. Granted it is a short book, but I do not think kids will get what really was going on without a teacher to fill in the historical context. I will be interested to see what the kids in the library think. As for historical fiction that effectively deals with this subject of the brutality of Stalin, I think Shades of Gray is amazing. It is a powerful book, but for an older reader. I must say this years choices were not the ones that I loved. Will see about the coming year.

I too was somewhat a little disappointed not only in this year's choices but also in the limited number of honor books named. So many wonderful possibilities were there to choose from. The good news is, we can all continue to enjoy them and look forward in the great books to come!

Did you catch Jack Gantos on NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me? Very funny, but probably not for the kids:

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPla...

No, I didn't. But I'll make a point to listen later today ... he must have an interesting view if the world:)
Thanks for the info.

VERY disappointed that Norvelt won (I didn't care for it at all), and also that "Okay for Now" didn't even get an Honor book. I actually thought "Okay for Now" should have won. As with all prizes I take them with a grain of salt. They aren't always reflective of the "people's" choices (and literary awards seem to be the worst!)

I haven't read any of them yet. Norvelt has been checked out since the day I bought it. So I'm guessing the kids are liking it, even if the adults aren't. I got to attend a seminar by Jack Gantos at the Tucson Book Festival. He is a very strange duck. He could easily be a stand-up comic.

I also got to meet Ruta Sepetys. I loved her book. I don't think my daughter could have been more thrilled to get to talk to her. And she is a very gracious and lovely woman. I am looking forward to reading . I'm glad to see that period in history finding it's way into children's literature.

(Little bit of a spoiler)
I did n't love Norvelt, either. I loved the premise of unfulfilled dreams and a sense of purpose that overshadows your happiness. I also thought the setting was particularly well portrayed. What I did n't like was the slapped on mystery. I thought the book could have had a much better and clearer message without it. I was also sympathetic with the Dad until the last couple of pages, where I thought his character really lost it. And, maybe I'm dense, but what was the point of the Hell's Angels? Love Jack Gantos' other books, just not this one. I also wish Okay for Now would have won.

I pretty much loved Dead End - maybe partly because I listened to Jack Gantos read it to me, but also partly because it was a funny, well-constructed story. I loved the characters, including the town itself. Oh man, that first scene of Miss Volker boiling her hands! And the Grim Reaper's visit! I might not have picked it for the Newbery, but I think it's a well-deserved award.

I also thought Breaking Stalin's Nose was great - like Dead End, dark but with humor. The illustrations really set the tone of the story, and it's one that needs to be told, bleak ending and all.

Out of the bunch, Inside Out and Back Again ended up being my least favorite, at least in terms of being personally compelling.

Jess wrote: "I pretty much loved Dead End - maybe partly because I listened to Jack Gantos read it to me, but also partly because it was a funny, well-constructed story. I loved the characters, including the to..."

As I read it, I am wondering how much I am influenced by his unique personality, presentation and intonation. Perhaps if I had read it before meeting him I would enjoy it less. I think he would be one of the few authors who would be great on audiobook. So far, it is about what I expected. But I haven't gotten to the Hell's Angels yet.

I finally finished Dead End in Norvelt which I really like alot. Maybe the Hell's Angels did make an appearance in Norvelt. Interestingly, Jack Gantos' father did actually rebuild a plane and fly it out of Norvelt for Florida.

I'm looking forward to reading Okay for Now and Inside Out & Back Again.