Handicapping the Newbery/Caldecotts

The Seattle Times looks at the crowded field of contenders for the Newbery/Caldecott Awards, to be announced a week from Monday at MidWinter.

The reporter comments, “Some years, there are obvious winners. This year, however, there are really no sure bets.” To that, we would add, “some years the ‘obvious winners’ don’t take home the medals.”

Nevertheless, the book that comes out as the leader for the Newbery is One Crazy Summer, by Rita William-Garcia (Amistad/HarperCollins). It also garnered the most picks on the year’s best books lists.

For the Caldecott, the top contenders are  are considered to be City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon Muth (Hyperion) and Art & Max, written and illustrated by David Wiesner (Clarion/HMH).

The Seattle Times did not look at the Printz Awards, but you can check out Lisa Von Drasek’s list of candidates for the Bank Street School’s Mock Printz Awards (also see their Mock Newbery Awards list).

One Response to “Handicapping the Newbery/Caldecotts”

  1. malissa Says:

    hmmm… didn’t care for One Crazy Summer at all.