And the Winner is . . .

The winners and honour books for the Newbery and Caldecott Awards were announced last week. The Newbery Medal was first awarded in 1922 and is awarded by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published in the previous year. The Caldecott Medal is awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

The 2016 Newbery winner is Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena, published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.  The choice was surprising to some as this is a picture book and the Newbery usually goes to a chapter book! 

The Newbery Honor books include:

The War that Saved my Life. Author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson.

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan.

Recent Newbery winners include The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (2015), Flora & Ullysses: The Illulminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo (2013), and The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

The Honor Books are also very well-known titles including El Deafo by Cece Bell and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson in 2015.  If you want a list of recent winners, go to the ALA website here.

The Caldecott Medal was awarded to Sophie Blackall, illustrator of Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear. The author is Lindsay Mattick and the publisher is Little, Brown and Company.

The Honor Books include:

Trombone Shorty.  llustrator Bryan Collier, Author Troy Andrews.

Waiting. Illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes.

Voice of Freedom:  Fannie Lous Maner, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement. Illustrated by Ekua Holmes. Author Carole Boston Weatherford.

and

Last Stop on Market Street. Illustrator Christian Robinson. Author Matt de la Pena.

Recent winners of the Caldecott include The Adventures of Beekle:  The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat (2015), Locomotive by Brian Floca (2014) and This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (2013).

The Newbery and Caldecott books are staples for your library collection, whether it be your classroom library or school library.  They appeal to a wide audience of readers, including adults!  I also find that it is not unusual for a book to be honoured in different categories (even though a book does not usually win in both Newbery and Caldecott categories). This year The War That Saved My Life was named the top audio book as well as being an honor book. The Crossover in 2015 earned several awards as well as the Newbery.

Many schools and teachers have a Mock Caldecott and/or Newbery process in their schools. The students nominate books and eventually vote on their own winners.  You can find many samples online to guide you if you would like to try this out.

John Schumacher from The Nerdy Book Club is making an attempt to read ALL the Caldecott and Newbery winners from 1922 to the present (some are difficult to find). Check out the lists and see how many you could already check off your list!

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

Goodbye Stranger is in the running for a Newberry medal and I certainly can see why.  Classified as a middle grade novel, the story unfolds from three points of view.  Bridge and Sherm, both students in junior high, take turns revealing their story in alternating chapters.  However, every now and then a third person adds to the story, but we are not told who the the speaker is. Bridge survived being hit by a car at a younger age and when she was in hospital a nurse said to her that she had survived for a reason.  Bridge is perplexed as to what that reason might be. Her two best friends, Tab and Emily, play an important role in the story and readers will relate to the situations each of the girls experience as they make their way through the seventh grade.

So much happens in this book. Really! Em is a talented athlete and singer who is interested in an older (8^th grade) boy. Em and her friend Patrick share selfies with each other, but as you can guess, suddenly Em’s selfie is shared far and wide. Tab is enamored with her feminist teacher Ms. Berman who becomes known as The Berperson. Sherm’s grandfather leaves his grandmother after a very long marriage and Sherm has difficulty with the family dynamics.  Our unknown author skips school and hides out a coffee shop owned by Bridge’s Dad. Bridge’s brother Jamie is constantly in some challenge or dare with his friend Alex. Bridge connects many of the characters in the story (good choice for her name) and is relied on by her friends. Bridge seems like a very typical middle school girl, except she wears a cat ears headband to school every day.

Oh . . . and the three girls have pledged to never fight.  Middle school girls . . . who cannot have fights . . . even when they are really annoyed with each other.

The title is intriguing as well. Sherm asks, “Is the new you the stranger? Or is the stranger the person you leave behind?”

I really enjoyed this book! The author had me thinking as to who the third voice was and how it connected to the rest of the story.  I liked the characters and could connect with them and their experiences. As I often do, I then went to Goodreads to read other reviews.  I recommend that you do so also, but read the book first.

One reviewer stated that this was really a book written for adults masquerading as a middle school novel. 

I read as much, if not more, young adult and MY literature than adult literature. I like it. I like making recommendations.  The reviewer has made me think. I rate this book very high, but would middle schoolers do the same? The publisher rates it for ages 10 and up and I do think it appeals to an older audience not 10-year olds.  Young readers may miss much of what is happening in the story and the back story.  The book has the potential for a great book club discussion.  It certainly has diversity, but it is not front and centre.  Bridge talks about her Armenien family; Tabitha’s family is Hindu, and Sherm’s Italian family live together as several generations. Will student readers recognize the family expectations that have shaped the young characters?  The selfie sharing certainly provides opportunity for discussion on internet safety. The many ups and downs in the relationships among the characters also provide much for discussion purposes. I think young readers will simply enjoy the story as it unfolds.

So is Goodbye Stranger written for adults or youth? Does it matter?

I am off to find a middle schooler who has read the book so we can have a discussion. I will let you know what kind of feedback I receive.

If you are looking for a book trailer for Goodbye Stranger, I recommend this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVCfqBjfdJE