Help for Choosing Your Newbery Book: The Newbery is awarded “for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” Books that earn this title usually have wide appeal and are enjoyed by children, teens, and adults alike. The target audience ranges from age 8 to 14, so please choose a book that is middle school appropriate (Ramona Quimby, Age 8, for example, is too young for you!). You may choose from my recommended list or choose something of a comparable length and reading level. (Remember, don’t choose The Giver.) •
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For a complete list of Newbery Medal and Honor books, see: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal Go to Storysnoops.com and enter “Newbery” under “Quickfind” (search feature on the top right). You’ll get a list of Newbery books with summaries, age range, reading level, related topics, reviews, and more. http://www.storysnoops.com/ See Scholastic’s list of 10 Newbery winners with recommended age, interest level and reading level: http://www.scholastic.com/resources/booklist/10-­‐newbery-­‐award-­‐winners/ Go to your local library or bookstore and ask for middle school Newbery recommendations. Hicklebees Books in San Jose is a great one! http://www.hicklebees.com Read reviews online, and read the first page or two before you buy. Does it hook you? If not, put it back and keep looking. Choosing a book is not like choosing a piece of pizza—you don’t have to take the first one you touch. Here are some Newberry Medal and Newbery Honor titles to get you started. I’ve selected them for their middle-­‐school appeal, but don’t limit yourself…there are so many more great books where these came from! In order of newest to oldest: 2012 Winner: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos I’m looking forward to reading this one over the summer! This year’s Newbery winner is a semi-­‐autobiographical novel from the hilarious Jack Gantos. A 12 year-­‐old boy (conventiently named Jack Gantos) is grounded for the summer in the sleepy town of Norvelt and has to work for his elderly neighbor helping her write obituaries. It turns out Norvelt isn’t as boring as Jack thought, as he learns the absurd histories of the townspeople and even gets tangled up in a possible murder mystery. (Another Newbery from Jack Gantos is Joey Pigza Loses Control.) Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus It is 1841 and 14-­‐year-­‐old Manjiro is shipwrecked and rescued by an American whaling crew. Because Japan is closed to all Western ships, Manjiro cannot return home and instead accompanies the crew back to America to begin a new life. After such adventures as learning to sail a whaling ship, attending school in America, and panning for gold in San Francisco, will Manjiro be welcome back in his native country? And will he ever achieve his lifelong dream of becoming a samurai? When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead 6th grader Miranda is obsessed with Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time (another great Newbery winner, and one of Ms. Halla’s favorites, BTW), and wants to travel through time, but it becomes all too real when she begins receiving mysterious notes from one who seems to know the future and gives Miranda a series of instructions intended to save a life. This novel has mystery, science fiction, teen drama, humor, and a great sense of adventure, as Miranda freely navigates the streets of New York City, trying to solve this puzzle before time runs out. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illus. by Dave McKean When he was just a baby, Nobody Owens, aka Bod, escaped his crib and toddled into the nearby graveyard. What he escaped was the brutal murder of his family by “the man Jack,” an assassin bent on destroying him. The ghostly residents take Nobody in and raise him as one of their own. The graveyard is full of adventures and dangers for Bod, but the real danger lies in the human world outside the graveyard, where the man Jack might still be hunting him. Another creepy and heartwarming triumph by Neil Gaiman. After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson When Neeka and her best friend meet D Foster, they are introduced to a new world that they never knew existed outside their sheltered Queens neighborhood. The girls bond over their love of rapper Tupac Shakur, their sadness in the wake of his death, and their search for their “Big Purpose” in life. (Another Newberry Honor book from Jacqueline Woodson is Feathers.) The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt The world is in turmoil over the Vietnam War, and Holling Hoodhood is turmoil because he has to spend every Wednesday afternoon of his 7th grade year alone with Mrs. Baker, the teacher who he believes “hates his guts,” reading and discussing the works of Shakespeare. And Holling has other challenges to face including bullies, tension at home, a father who works too much, a disappointing baseball hero, and…yellow tights with feathers? Nothing but the Truth by Avi Freshman Philip Malloy tries to get transferred out of his English teacher’s homeroom by humming during the National Anthem. When he is punished, his parents go on the defensive, and this minor incident soon becomes a full-­‐blown national scandal! Avi reveals with wit and satire how quickly the truth can be exaggerated and how blindly the public can get behind a “political” cause. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale 14-­‐year-­‐old Mirl wants to work in the mines of Mount Eskel, just like her father and older sister, but when the Prince announces that he will be choosing a bride from her humble village, Miri and the other girls are sent off to the Princess Academy to test their merit and prepare them for the challenges ahead. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko Imagine living on Alcatraz Island in 1935, when the notorious mob boss Al Capone was imprisoned there. When twelve-­‐year-­‐old Moose’s father gets a job at the prison, they do just that. Moose has to adjust to a highly unusual new home life and Piper, the warden’s daughter, assures that Moose will get into plenty of trouble! Additionally, Moose needs to care for his autistic sister. Kira-­‐Kira by Cynthia Kadohata Katie’s older sister, Lynn, is her best friend and makes everything seem kira-­‐kira—glittering. Through Lynn’s eyes, even Kleenex blowing in the wind is full of luminescence and beauty! When Katie and Lynn’s parents lose their store in Iowa, the family has to move to Georgia where their parents can work in a hatchery with the other Japanese Americans. Katie tries to help hold her family together as they face racism, poverty, impossible working conditions, and a devastating illness. In the midst of it all, Katie holds on to hope and all that is kira-­‐kira. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer This dystopian novel is one of Ms. Halla’s favorites! Matteo Alacrán learns early in life that he is nothing but a filthy clone. He is treated as an animal—or worse—except by the feared ruler of Opium, El Patrón. But does El Patrón really love him? Why does this evil drug lord treat Matteo so well? The more Matteo learns, the more his life is in danger. This is the story of Matteo’s journey to gain self-­‐respect, save his own life, and possibly even save his country. Also check out Nancy Farmer’s other crazy sci-­‐fi Newbery Honor book, The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm! Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer This heartwarming book makes you want to stand up and cheer for Hope Yancey, a 16 year-­‐
old diner waitress on a journey of self-­‐discovery. Her Aunt Addie—her stand-­‐in mom ever since Hope’s mom abandoned her years ago—moves her diner from New York to rural Wisconsin. Though Hope thought small-­‐town life would bore her, instead she becomes actively involved in a political fight to root out a corrupt politician, discovers her true purpose, finds love, and even finds the father figure she never had. This book is full of warm, believable characters that remind us that there still is hope in the world! Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman This is the irreverent diary of a spirited, rebellious, and delightfully snarky 14-­‐year-­‐old English maiden in the year 1290. Birdy’s father is determined to marry her off to any man with money, no matter how revolting and shaggy-­‐bearded he may be, and Birdy is determined to run all her suitors all out of town. Her diary is filled with accurate descriptions of medieval life, and will tie nicely with your 7th Grade SS curriculum. Also check out Karen Cushman’s Newbery Medal winner The Midwife’s Apprentice. Somewhere in the Darkness by Walter Dean Myers 14 year-­‐old Jimmy Little gets quite a surprise when his dad, whose been locked up in prison for as long as Jimmy can remember, shows up at his house asking to take him on a road trip. Jimmy joins his escaped convict father on a quest to find the man who can clear his name. Between stolen cars, flee-­‐ridden motels, and soda can dinners, Jimmy learns a great deal about the consequences of poor choices and about empathy, forgiveness, and redemption. Also check out Walter Dean Myers’s Newbery Medal book Scorpions. The Black Cauldron and The High King by Lloyd Alexander Check out all 5 books in the Chronicles of Prydain—Ms. Halla’s favorite when she was your age! The Black Cauldron (book 2) is a Newbery Honor book and The High King (book 5) won the Newbery Medal. As in all great fantasy tales, the heroes of Prydain find themselves fighting an epic battle between good and evil. These stories are both heartrending and hilarious, as we follow Taran the Assistant Pig Keeper and his feisty, eccentric companions on their quest to triumph over the evil forces threatening the land of Prydain. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L’Engle This was Ms. Halla’s other favorite when she was your age! Meg and Charles Wallace, accompanied by their neighbor Calvin O’Keefe, embark on a cosmic journey to rescue their father from a dark force bent on conquering the universe. Quantum physics, mathematics, philosophy, and theology are all woven into the fabric of this epic triumph of love over evil. Also check out L’Engle’s moving Newbery Honor book A Ring of Endless Light which follows 15-­‐year-­‐old Vicki Austin as she navigates the complex challenges of romance and death…and oh yeah, there’re psychic dolphins, too! My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George 12-­‐year-­‐old Sam Gribley is sick of the loud, crowded, busy life in New York City, especially since he lives with his eight brothers and sisters! Eager for space and freedom, Sam runs away into the wilderness of the Catskill Mountains where he quickly learns about the perils of the wild and what he needs to survive them.