Every year, as we approach the ALA Midwinter Meeting and the annual Youth Media Award announcements, libraries and schools around the United States offer Mock Election programs. These are a great opportunity for children’s literature aficionados to learn more about some of the great, recently published books for kids. Below, you will find some of the results from mock elections around the country.
On Monday, February 12, at 8:00am, at the American Library Associations Midwinter Meetings held in Denver, Colorado, the winners of the 2018 Youth Media Awards will be announced.
Use these links to jump quickly to the results of the Mock Award in which you are most interested.
- Mock Caldecott Results
- Mock Newbery Results
- Mock Coretta Scott King Results
- Mock Geisel Results
- Mock Printz Results
- Mock Sibert Results
- Mock Pura Belprè Results
To add your results to this page, please Mary Voors, the ALSC Blog manager, at alscblog@gmail.com with the results of your Mock Election program. (Results from 2016 mock elections and last year’s mock elections are also available.)
Mock Caldecott Results
(For information about the Caldecott Award, visit the Caldecott Medal homepage.)
The Wood County District Public Library in Bowling Green offered a Mock Caldecott program on February 4th. The 5 people in attendance decided on the following winners:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Dazzle Ships, by Chris Barton, illus. by Victo Ngai.
La La La, illustrated by Jaime Kim and written by Kate DiCamillo.
Egg, illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes.
For more information about this program, contact Cassie Greenlee at cassandragreenlee@wcdpl.org.
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A joint mock award annual event, co-sponsored by the Westchester Library System of Westchester County, New York, just north of N.Y.C., as well as the Westchester Library Association, Southern Westchester BOCES and SLMSSENY, part of New York Library Association, was held on February 6. Fifteen people participated and arrived at the following winners:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
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It was a series of emotional weeks for two grade 5 classes at Connect Charter School in Calgary, AB, Canada. Each week, they had to eliminate so many amazing books from their Caldecott contenders. In the end, there can be only one winner. When they looked at each book, alongside the criteria, some of the favorites were not the best match. They had to vote with their heads and not their hearts. The top books, if they went for kid appeal and favorites were probably, “After the Fall,” “The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse,” and “The Unexpected Love Story of Alfred Fiddleduckling,” but the mock medal was awarded to “Blue Sky White Stars.” Luckily, they can use their persuasive writing skills to request that favorite titles be added to their library collection. The 52 students rediscovered how great picture books can be, and learned to think critically. They agreed that every book they looked at had wonderful qualities. The final winners were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
The Wolf, the Duck, & the Mouse illustrated by Jon Klassen and written by Mac Barnett.
The Antlered Ship, illustrated by Terry Fan & Eric Fan and written By Dashka Slater.
Tony illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by Ed Galing.
For more information, contact Gail Stevenson at gail.s@connectcharter.ca
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A team of Children’s Librarians at Sonoma County Public Library chose a short list of ten titles that fit the criteria of books to be considered for the Mock Caldecott Award. Then, in the weeks leading up to the Youth Media Awards announcement, all branches encouraged book lovers in our community to vote for the best picture book. Some branches did storytimes and outreach to schools as well. The winners by popular vote – both online and in-person of over 300 people – received an Award Sticker, to encourage future readers to discover and enjoy the books honored by our community. The winners selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Whose Moon Is That? illustrated and written by Kim Krans.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Blue Ethel illustrated and written by Jennifer Black Reinhardt.
Windows illustrated E.B. Goodale and written by Julia Denos.
Life illustrated by Brendan Wenzel and written by Cynthia Rylant.
For more information about this program, contact Cailin Yeager at cmyeager@sonoma.lib.ca.us.
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The entire children’s department of the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois met twice to discuss, then voted. This Mock Caldecott committee consisted of 12 members, including 5 librarians. The winners selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
This House, Once illustrated and written by Deborah Freedman.
Her Right Foot, art by Shawn Harris, written by Dave Eggers.
For more information, contact Katie Clausen at kclausen@gailborden.info.
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The second grade class at Imagine Clay Avenue Community School has been studying the Caldecott Award for the past four months. Twenty-five students started by analyzing past winners and honor books and discussing what made the book distinguished including use of color, line, and shape. They read and discussed twenty-four books which were eligible for the Caldecott Award and voted on a winner using the Caldecott’s voting process. The winners were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Big Cat, Little Cat, illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper.
La La La, illustrated by Jaime Kim and written by Kate DiCamillo.
Creepy Pair of Underwear, illustrated by Peter Brown and written by Aaron Reynolds.
For more information, contact Jessie Throop-Voors at jessie.voors@imagineschools.
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Denver Public Library hosted a morning of mock discussions for DPL staff, as well as metro-area colleagues, on February 6. Fifteen people participated. The winners were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Where’s Halmoni illustrated and written by Julie Kim.
Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
For more information about this program, contact Amy Forrester at aforrester@denverlibrary.org.
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On February 5th, approximately 250 second, third and fourth graders from the Harwich Elementary School in Harwich, MA participated in a Mock Caldecott program. The students voted from a slate of 20 books using a weighted first/second/third place voting system. The winners they selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, illustrated by Adam Rex and written by Drew Daywalt.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Big Cat, Little Cat, illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper.
Claymates, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge and written by Devorah Petty.
For more information, contact Ann Carpenter at acarpenter@clamsnet.org.
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At the Provo City Library in Provo, Utah, on February 1st, twenty-two people participated in a Mock Caldecott program. The winning titles were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
Triangle written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen.
For more information about this program, contact Joella Peterson at joellap@provolibrary.com
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Twenty-two people participated in the Mock Caldecott program offered by the Youth Services section of the Library Association of Rockland County on January 30th. The winners they selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Windows illustrated E.B. Goodale and written by Julia Denos.
For more information about this program, contact Randall Enos at renos@rcls.org.
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Using blogs, websites, and staff suggestions, a long list of 20 books was created in December. Staff from throughout the Cabarrus County Library System voted for a short list of seven books to be voted on by our patrons during the month of January. Votes were tallied at the end of January and these are the results of 40 votes from the Concord, Kannapolis, and Mount Pleasant branches of the Cabarrus County Library System.
Mock Caldecott Winner: Nothing Rhymes with Orange illustrated and written by Adam Rex.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Little Fox in the Forest illustrated and written by Stephanie Graegin.
After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
For more information about this program, contact Adrian Zeck at amzeck@cabarruscounty.us.
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On February 3rd, 26 lovers of children’s picture book – including parents, teachers, and librarians – gathered at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the annual Mock Caldecott program and election. After hours discussing and critiquing fifty titles, the winners they selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters illustrated by Evan Turk and written by Michael Mahin.
For more information about this program, contact Teresa Walls at twalls@acpl.info.
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On January 29th, in an annual Mock Caldecott event, 36 librarians from the Milwaukee County Federated Library System got together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to vote on the books they thought might will win this year’s Caldecott Award. The titles they selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
How to Be an Elephant Growing Up in the African Wild illustrated and written by Katherine Roy.
After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
The Book of Mistakes, illustrated and written by Corinna Luyken.
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On February 2nd, 41 people participated in a Mock Caldecott program at the Wells County Public Library in Bluffton, Indiana. The winners selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: The Book of Mistakes, illustrated and written by Corinna Luyken.
Claymates, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge and written by Devorah Petty.
Little Fox in the Forest illustrated and written by Stephanie Graegin.
The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC’s (the Hard Way), illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell.
For more information about this program, contact Susan Dailey at sdailey@wellscolibrary.org.
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Twenty-two students in Mr. Wright’s 3rd Grade Class at Kensico School in Valhalla, NY participated in a Mock Caldecott program. The winners they selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Playmates, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge and written by Devorah Petty.
Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
Red and Lulu, written and illustrated by Matt Tavares.
Says Mr. Wright “This is always one of my very favorite projects of the year with my class! ” For more information about this program, contact Bill Wright at bwright@valhallaschools.org.
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Carol Simon Levin conducted seven Mock Caldecott elections in New Jersey with a total of 300+ students — five during the day with K-4th graders at Bedminster School plus two aftercare groups at schools in Bridgewater. Methodology and detailed results can be viewed at http://carolsimonlevin.
Mock Caldecott Winner: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, illustrated by Adam Rex and written by Drew Daywalt.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Claymates, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge and written by Devorah Petty.
Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
For more information about this program, contact Carol Levin at cslevin59@gmail.com.
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Forty people at the Brooklyn Public Library gathered for a Mock Caldecott Program on January 18th. They selected the following winners:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Before She Was Harriet illustrated by James E. Ransome and written by Lesa Cline-Ransom.
After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
For more information about this program, contact Kimberly Grad at kgrad@bklynlibrary.org.
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The Massachusetts Library System in Marlborough, MA held a Mock with ten librarians participating. It was a celebratory voting session with a photo booth, noise makers, and sparkling juice! The winners selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Egg, illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes.
A Perfect Day, illustrated and written by Lane Smith.
Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters illustrated by Evan Turk and written by Michael Mahin.
For more information about this program, contact April Mazza at april@masslibsystem.org.
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CBE Discussions in Denver, Colorado is a group of 8 librarians, teachers, booksellers, and an author-illustrator and a person who spent years in publishing who now lives in Colorado. The diversity of backgrounds and interests in children’s books made for lively and passionate discussion.On January 28th, they arrived at the following results:
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Where’s Halmoni illustrated and written by Julie Kim.
Egg, illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes.
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
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This is the 4th year the Takoma Park Maryland Library ran a Mock Caldecott for Adults. This year, there were also a couple of teens who wanted to participate. They read/skimmed a total of 22 books, then voted. The first ballot produced a tie between “Little Fox in the Forest” and “The Wolf, the Duck & the Mouse.” There was a run-off between those two, and “Little Fox in the Forest” emerged as the winner.
Mock Caldecott Winner: Little Fox in the Forest illustrated and written by Stephanie Graegin.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: A Different Pond, illustrated by Thi Bui and written by Bao Phi.
Jabari Jumps, illustrated and written by Gaia Cornwall.
The Wolf, the Duck, & the Mouse illustrated by Jon Klassen and written by Mac Barnett.
For more information about this program, contact Karen MacPherson at karen.macpherson@gmail.com.
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On January 19th, 63 second graders at the Latin School of Chicago participated in a Mock Caldecott program. They selected the following winner:
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
For more information about this program, contact Sheri Snopek at ssnopek@latinschool.org.
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Fifteen school librarians with the Hamilton County (Indiana) Council of the IRA participated in a Mock Caldecott program on January 27th. The winners they selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: A Perfect Day, illustrated and written by Lane Smith.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.
For more information about this program, contact Susan Dailey at sdailey@wellscolibrary.org.
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Thirty-five public and school librarians participated in the Mock Caldecott program at the Carmel Clay library in Carmel, Indiana on January 26. The winning titles were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: The Antlered Ship, illustrated by Terry Fan & Eric Fan and written By Dashka Slater.
Flashlight Night illustrated by Fred Koehler and written by Matt Forrest Esenwine.
The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC’s (the Hard Way), illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell.
For more information about this program, contact Susan Dailey at sdailey@wellscolibrary.org.
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From October through December, sixty Catherine Cook School 2nd graders in Chicago, Illinois learned about the Caldecott Award criteria and selected their own winner and honor titles.
Mock Caldecott Winner: The Three Billy Goats Gruff illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: It’s Shoe Time illustrated and written by Bryan Collier.
Nothing Rhymes with Orange illustrated and written by Adam Rex.
For more information about this program, contact Patrick Gall at library@ccookschool.org.
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Seventy people participated in the Greater Cincinnati (OH) region Mock Caldecott Election on January 25th. After starting with 25 titles, participants met in small groups, with each table selecting their top 3. Votes were tabulated following the same procedure as the real Caldecott committee, which narrowed the field to 8 titles. After whole group discussion, participants voted for their top 3 titles.
Mock Caldecott Winner: A Perfect Day, illustrated and written by Lane Smith.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: The Book of Mistakes, illustrated and written by Corinna Luyken.
A Different Pond, illustrated by Thi Bui and written by Bao Phi.
A Greyhound, a Groundhog, illustrated by Chris Appelhans and written by Emily Jenkins.
Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
For more information about this program, contact Sam Bloom at Sam.bloom@cincinnatilibrary.
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The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library in Evansville, Indiana has held a Mock Caldecott program annually since 2001. This year 57 books that had received 3 or more starred reviews were considered. After meeting in discussion groups, the field was narrowed to 16 books. It took three ballots to narrow the list further to five titles. After the fourth ballot, two honor books were named and on the fifth ballot, a winner and two additional honor books emerged.
Mock Caldecott Winner: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: The Book of Mistakes, illustrated and written by Corinna Luyken.
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, illustrated by Adam Rex and written by Drew Daywalt.
The Unexpected Love Story of Alfred Fiddleduckling, illustrated and written by Timothy Basil Ering.
Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
For more information about this program, contact Cheryl Soper at cheryls@evpl.org.
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The Caldecott Club at Takoma Park Maryland Library, aimed at kids and adults, meets monthly to read and discuss possible Caldecott contenders. Each month, they vote on a “winner” and that book goes on the finalist list. At the January meeting, the eight finalists were read again, discussed, and then all participants voted for the mock medal winner. It’s a fun way to have a family book club! This year’s winners are:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Big Cat, Little Cat, illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC’s (the Hard Way), illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell.
Jabari Jumps, illustrated and written by Gaia Cornwall.
For more information about this program, contact Karen MacPherson at karen.macpherson@gmail.com, or take a look at the article Karen wrote about the Caldecott Club for The Horn Book last year.
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Five hundred Kindergarten through third graders at the Falmouth Elementary School in Falmouth, Maine participated in a Mock Caldecott program on January 22nd. There were two separate votes. Reckless was the winner for the 3rd grade vote. The Girl who Ran: Bobbi Gibb, the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon was the winner for the Kindergarten through 2nd grade vote.
Mock Caldecott Winner – 3rd Grade: Sergeant Reckless : The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero and illustrated by Iacopo Bruno and written by Patricia McCormick
Mock Caldecott Winner – K through 2nd Grade: The Girl Who Ran: Bobbi Gibb, The First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon illustrated by Susanna Chapman and written by Kristina Yee & Frances Poletti.
For more information about this program, contact Amy McInerney at amy.mcinerney@falmouthschools.
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On January 20th, 30 people participated in the 45th annual Caldecott Read-In at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. At the end of this program, they arrived at the following Mock Caldecott winners:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters illustrated by Evan Turk and written by Michael Mahin.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
Big Cat, Little Cat, illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper.
Claymates, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge and written by Devorah Petty.
Little Fox in the Forest illustrated and written by Stephanie Graegin.
For more information about this program, contact Nancy Eames at nancy.eames@toledolibrary.org.
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On the evening of January 17th, Kent State Univerity’s iSchool hosted its annual Mock Caldecott Awards in the Reinberger Children’s Library Center. After much thoughtful discussion and deliberation, the mock committee narrowed down the original selection of 23 contenders to one winner and two honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner: Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
Red and Lulu, written and illustrated by Matt Tavares.
For more information about this program, contact MIchelle Baldini at mbaldini@kent.edu.
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The staff at Cuyahoga County Public Library in Parma, Ohio got snowed out of our planned discussion/voting meeting on Friday, January 12. Instead, we did an online ranking vote using Survey Monkey. The 16 participants would have gone on to additional ballots if voting in person but with the online vote we simply went with the top vote winning and honor titles that were the next closest in votes.
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Out of Wonder – Poems Celebrating Poets illustrated by Ekua Holmes and by Kwame Alexander.
The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken.
For more information about this program, contact Mary Schreiber at mschreiber@cuyahogalibrary.org.
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Seventy-five Youth Services Librarians from the Bergen Cooperative Library System in New Jersey met to participate in the BCCLS Youth Services Committee Annual Mock Awards voting on Caldecott, Newbery and Printz contenders. The Mock Caldecott winners they selected were:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Her Right Foot, art by Shawn Harris, written by Dave Eggers.
Mock Caldecott Honor Book: Little Fox in the Forest illustrated and written by Stephanie Graegin.
A Perfect Day, illustrated and written by Lane Smith.
For more information about this program, contact Amy Sears at amy.sears@teaneck.bccls.org.
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On January 16th, a group of fourteen children’s librarians from the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana held a “Mini” Mock Caldecott. Looking at and discussing a very small selection of 2017 titles, the group selected the following winner and Honor Book:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
Mock Caldecott Honor Book: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
For more information about this program, contact Dawn Stoops at dstoops@acpl.info.
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On January 9th, 28 people gathered at the Queens Library in Queens, New York for a Mock Caldecott discussion and election. They selected the following winners:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Little Fox in the Forest illustrated and written by Stephanie Graegin.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters illustrated by Evan Turk and written by Michael Mahin.
For more information about this program, contact Christine Scheper at christine.scheper@queenslibrary.org.
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Forty-one people gathered on January 9th at the Chicago Public Library for Mock Caldecott discussion and election; they have been holding mock discussions for 65 years. This year they selected the following mock winner and honor books:
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters by Michael Mahin, illustrated by Evan Turk.
Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
For more information about this program, contact Liv Hanson at ehanson1@chipublib.org.
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The San Francisco Public Library hosts an annual Mock, most often Caldecott. There are two groups comprised of SFPL Youth Librarians and Teacher Librarians from SF Unified School District. For the first time in many years, both groups awarded the same title (Windows) as the Caldecott Award. One group had one honor: Grand Canyon. The other group had two honors: Grand Canyon and A Greyhound, A Groundhog. Carla Kozak organizes this fantastic professional development experience designed to replicate a modified Caldecott activity. Ten well-reviewed books are selected that represent an array of genres and artistic methods. They may or may not reflect SFPL librarians’ favorite illustrated books for children.. Here is the list we discussed:
- Accident, by Andrea Tsurumi
- Blue Sky, White Stars, by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illus. by Kadir Nelson
- Danza! Amalia Hernandez and El Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, by Duncan Tonatiuh
- Dazzle Ships, by Chris Barton, illus. by Victo Ngai
- Grand Canyon, by Jason Chin
- A Greyhound, a Groundhog, by Emily Jenkins, illus. by Chris Appelhans
- Mighty Moby, by Barbara DaCosta, illus. by Ed Young
- Niko Draws a Feeling, by Bob Raszka, illus. by Simone Shin
- Robinson, by Peter Sis
- Windows, by Julia Denos, illus. by E.B. Goodale
Mock Caldecott Winner: Windows, illustrated by E.B. Goodale and written by Julia Denos.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Grand Canyon, illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
A Greyhound, a Groundhog, illustrated by Chris Appelhans and written by Emily Jenkins,.
For more information about this program, contact Carla Kozak at Carla.Kozak@sfpl.org.
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On January 9th, 80 students at Northern Hills Elemementary in Onalaska, Wisconsin participated in a Mock Caldecott program, selecting the following winner and Honor books:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Claymates, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge and written by Devorah Petty.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Creepy Pair of Underwear, illustrated by Peter Brown and written by Aaron Reynolds.
Nope, illustrated and written by Drew Sheneman.
La La La, illustrated by Jaime Kim and written by Kate DiCamillo.
After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
For more information about this program, contact Crystal Brunelle at brucr@onalaskaschools.com.
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On December 4th, 43 librarians discussed twenty titles as part of the Nassau Library System Mock Caldecott Meeting in Uniondale, New York. After discussing and and debating for three hours, they decided on a winner and two honor titles.
Mock Caldecott Winner: Blue Sky White Stars illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Sarvinder Naberhaus.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
The Antlered Ship, illustrated by Terry Fan & Eric Fan and written By Dashka Slater.
For more information about this program,contact Renee McGrath at renee@nassaulibrary.org.
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First through fifth graders met at the Evanston Public Library in Evanston, Illinois to discuss once a month for three months (September, October, November). There were 5 books discussed at each meeting. The children voted and the top 3 from each meeting went to a Voting Party in December. The kids then refamiliarized themselves with the 9 contenders and voted. On December 13th, 19 kids selected the following winners:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Accident! illustrated and written by Andrea Tsurmuni.
After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Big Cat, Little Cat, illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper.
The Ring Bearer, illustrated and written by Floyd Cooper.
For more information about this program, contact Brian Wilson at bwilson@cityofevanston.org.
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The Dayton Metro Library in Dayton, Ohio held a Mock Caldecott on December 13, 2017. The 36 people participating selected the following winners:
Mock Caldecott Winner: Jabari Jumps, illustrated and written by Gaia Cornwall.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: A Perfect Day, illustrated and written by Lane Smith.
Big Cat, Little Cat, illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper.
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, illustrated by Adam Rex and written by Drew Daywalt.
For more information about this program, contact Erin Wen at ewen@daytonmetrolibrary.org.
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The Wilmington Stroop Branch Library in Kettering, Ohio offered an evening program called Predicting the Caldecott Medal Winner for 2018 on December 12th as a family event. With 27 participants, both children and parents voted after looking through 20 highly reviewed picture books of the past year. Everyone had a blast looking at all of the wonderful art and watching the votes be tallied after the last round of voting!
The results are:
Mock Caldecott Winner: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, illustrated by Adam Rex and written by Drew Daywalt.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Big Cat, Little Cat, illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper.
For more information about this program, contact Melissa Sokol at msokol@daytonmetrolibrary.org.
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The Ada Community Libraries in Boise, Idaho offered a Mock Caldecott Tea on December 15th which was attended by 30 public library and school library staff. Browsing a total of 146 books, and concentrating their focus on 16 titles that had been generating the most buzz, participants enjoyed a wonderful time nibbling cookies, sipping tea, and discussing picture books.
The results are:
Mock Caldecott Winner: After the Fall, illustrated and written by Dan Santat.
Mock Caldecott Honor Books: Little Fox in the Forest, illustrated and written by Stephanie Graegin.
This House, Once, illustrated and written by Deborah Freedman.
For more information about this program, contact Julie Patricia at jpatricia@adalib.org.
Mock Newbery Results
(For information about the Newbery Award, visit the Newbery Medal homepage.)
The Westchester Library Association out of Westchester County, NY, held a Mock Newbery discussion and election on February 6. The ten people participating decided on the following winners:
Mock Newbery Winner: Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.
Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
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Thompson Middle School Mock Newbery Club in St. Charles, Illinois was a group of sixth grade students at the met before school twice per month to read and discuss the 15 “hopefuls”. In the end, See You in the Cosmos was the book that met the Newbery criteria – and is the group’s predicted winner.
Mock Newbery Winner: See You In the Cosmos by Jack Cheng.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
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Thirteen people gathered at the Provo City Library in Provo Utah for a Mock Newbery discussion and election on February 8th. The results were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Tumble & Blue by Cassie Beasley.
Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
For more information about this program, contact Joella Peterson at joellap@provolibrary.com
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The reading groups at Imagine Clay Avenue Community School in Toledo, Ohio have been reading and analyzing potential Newbery books over the past three months. Twenty-eight students discussed character development, plot, and theme and conducted their final debate and vote on February 8th. The results were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
For more information about this program, contact Ryan Throop-Voors at ryan.throop@imagineschools.org.
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Denver Public Library hosted a morning of mock discussions for DPL staff, as well as metro-area colleagues, on February 6. Ten people participated. The winners were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Train I Ride by Paul Mosier.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia.
Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
For more information about this program, contact Amy Forrester at aforrester@denverlibrary.org.
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A group of 10 fifth and sixth graders at Pemetic Elementary in Southwest Harbor, Maine, have been meeting once per month to discuss titles on Island Readers & Writers‘ (IRW) Mock Newbery Booklist. IRW is a nonprofit organization that seeks to inspire a love of books and learning in all children, and we partnered with an elementary school down the street. Our volunteers spent all summer reading eligible Newbery titles and read dozens of books, which we narrowed down to 15 unique books. From those 15 titles, the student judges selected nine books for the Mock Newbery award shortlist, and then voted on one winner and three honor titles. They had a great time discussing their favorites, least favorites and elements of each book. We will have a party on Feb. 12 to announce the winner and honor books to the rest of the school! The winners were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Forever, Or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla.
Pablo & Birdy by Alison McGhee.
Exit Strategy by Lauren Allbright.
For more information about this program, contact Taylor Mace at tmace@islandreadersandwriters.
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The Lancaster Middle School Mock Newbery Club in Lancaster, Wisconsin has been predicting books for the last two years. They are beyond excited for the YMA ALA PJ Party and Newbery Announcement on Monday. These 44 middle school students have been meeting once or twice weekly to discuss books from our list. They have skyped with many of the authors on their Mock Newbery list and have enjoyed learning about each author’s unique writing process.The winners they selected were:
Mock Newbery Winner: The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla.
Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng.
For more information about this program, contact Micki Uppena at uppenami@lancastersd.k12.wi.us.
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The Sacramento Public Library in Sacramento, California offered a Mock Newbery program on February 2nd; seven people participated. The winners they selected were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: First Rule of Punk by Celia Pérez.
Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
Train I Ride by Paul Mosier.
For more information about this program, contact Amanda Foulk at afoulk@saclibrary.org.
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Seventeen people participated in the Mock Newbery program offered by the Youth Services section of the Library Association of Rockland County on January 30th. The winners they selected were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Train I Ride by Paul Mosier.
For more information about this program, contact Randall Enos at renos@rcls.org.
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Using blogs, websites, and staff suggestions, a long list of 20 books was created in December. Staff from throughout the Cabarrus County Library System voted for a short list of seven books to be voted on by our patrons during the month of January. Votes were tallied at the end of January and these are the results of the Concord, Kannapolis, and Mount Pleasant branches of the Cabarrus County Library System. Thirty-eight people voted to arrive at these winners:
Mock Newbery Winner: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan.
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia.
For more information about this program, contact Adrian Zeck at amzeck@cabarruscounty.us.
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The Ramapo Catskill Library System, and the Children’s Librarians of Orange, Ulster & Sullivan Counties, gathered in Middleton, New York for a Mock Newbery program and election. These sixteen people selected the following winners:
Mock Newbery Winner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes.
For more information about this program, contact Randall Enos at renos@rcls.org.
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In a much-loved annual program, 19 children’s literature lovers gathered at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the annual Mock Newbery program and election on February 3rd. The winners they selected were:
Mock Newbery Winner: One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin.
For more information about this program, contact Mary Voors at mvoors@acpl.info.
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On January 29th, in an annual Mock Newbery event, 35 librarians from the Milwaukee County Federated Library System got together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to vote on the books they thought might will win this year’s Newbery Award. The titles they selected were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson.
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The Sunrise Newbery Club, from the Sunrise Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado is a club is made up of 55 3rd-5th graders. They selected the following winners at their Mock Newbery program on February 1st:
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore.
Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
For more information about this program, contact Susie Isaac at Sisaac3@cherrycreekschools.org.
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Twenty-five people at the Brooklyn Public Library gathered for a Mock Newbery Program on January 11th. They selected the following winners:
Mock Newbery Winner: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin.
For more information about this program, contact Kimberly Grad at kgrad@bklynlibrary.org.
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The MLS Mock Newbery happens mostly on Goodreads. This year voting happened all online and the award was announced at our Mock Awards Celebration where we also discussed and voted on Caldecott. The Mock Newbery was announced to the group at the end of the session by cake! The winners were:
Mock Newbery Winner: The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore.
Patina by Jason Reynolds.
Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
For more information about this program, contact April Mazza at april@masslibsystem.org.
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Working with the Heavy Medal Mock Newbery blog, the Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California in Oakland, California completed a Mock Newbery program on January 28th, selecting the following titles:
Mock Newbery Winner: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly.
Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.
For more information about this program, contact Sharon McKellar at dearanxiety@gmail.com.
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Ten students at the Stoller Middle School in Beaverton, Oregon participated in a Mock Newbery program on January 30th. They selected the following titles:
Mock Newbery Winner: Forget Me Not by Elliah Terry.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
Refugee by Alan Gratz.
For more information about this program, contact Adrienne Gillespie at adrienne_gillespie@beaverton.
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The Mock Newbery Club at Ossining Public Library in Ossining, NY is for children in grades 4 & up. This is their eighth year. They’ve been meeting monthly since May 2017 and read almost 30 books this year before arriving at the following winners.
Mock Newbery Winner: See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
Greetings from Witness Protection by Jake Burt.
For more information about this program, contact Debra Fletcher at dfletcher@wlsmail.org.
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CBE Discussions in Denver, Colorado is a group of 8 librarians, teachers, booksellers, and an author-illustrator and a person who spent years in publishing who now lives in Colorado. The diversity of backgrounds and interests in children’s books made for lively and passionate discussion.On January 28th, they arrived at the following results:
Mock Newbery Winner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
Genevieve’s War by Patricia Reilly Giff.
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
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On January 28th, eleven Atlanta-area school and public librarians, book sellers, and authors participated in the Atlanta Area Mock Newbery program. The selected the following winners:
Mock Newbery Winner: A Different Pond, written by Bao Phi. and illustrated by Thi Bui.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia.
Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin.
For more information about this program, contact Eric Carpenter at erccarp@gmail.com.
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Seventy people participated in the Greater Cincinnati (OH) region Mock Caldecott Election on January 25th. Participants discussed 8 titles in a large group before voting for their top 3 titles. The vote was relatively inconclusive, so (due to time constraints) a second “ballot,” which simply consisted of participants choosing between the two top vote-getters, led to the winning title.
Mock Newbery Winner: Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan.
Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly.
Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman.
For more information about this program, contact Sam Bloom at Sam.bloom@cincinnatilibrary.
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A group of 12 book loving librarians at Cuyahoga County Public Library in Parma, Ohio met on January 19th to discuss and ballot for a Mock Newbery winner and honor books. It took several ballots as it was really close between the ultimate winner and honor book.
Mock Newbery Winner: The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.
For more information about this program, contact Mary Schreiber at mschreiber@cuyahogalibrary.org.
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Thirty-five children’s librarians participated in a mock Newbery program at the Nassau Library System on January 22nd. 7 titles were discussed and one winner and three honor titles were chosen.
Mock Newbery Winner: Train I Ride by Paul Mosier.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.
Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin.
For more information about this program, contact Renee McGrath at renee@nassaulibrary.org
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The Maryland Mock Newbery, sponsored by the Eastern Shore Regional Library, again produced spirited discussion on our slate of titles! Eleven people gathered on January 18th and arrived at the following winners:
Mock Newbery Winner: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Patina by Jason Reynolds.
For more information about this program, contact Sam Eddington at sam@esrl.org.
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On January 18th, 40 people participated in a Mock Newbery discussion and election at the Kansas City Metro Area Libraries in Kansas City, Missouri. The winners selected were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Patina by Jason Reynolds.
Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly.
For more information about this program, contact Naphtali Faris at nfaris@mymcpl.org.
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Ten people gathered on January 18th at the Springfield-Greene County Library in Springfield, Missouri for a Mock Newbery discussion and election. The winners selected were:
Mock Newbery Winner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
For more information about this program, contact Sarah Bean Thompson at sarahbean@thelibrary.org.
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Each fall, Rhode Island librarians begin meeting to select a “mock” version of the Newbery award in a program coordinated by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services. The group meets three times to nominate and discuss potential winners before developing a final list of books to be considered at the January voting meeting. On January 17, a group of 12 children’s and school librarians selected the following winner and honor books after reading and discussing 31 eligible books:
Mock Newbery Winner: Her Right Foot, written by Dave Eggers, with art by Shawn Harris.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore.
For more information about this program, contact Danielle Margarida at danielle.margarida@olis.ri.gov.
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Seventy-five Youth Services Librarians from the Bergen Cooperative Library System in New Jersey met to participate in the BCCLS Youth Services Committee Annual Mock Awards voting on Caldecott, Newbery and Printz contenders. The Mock Newbery winners they selected were:
Mock Newbery Winner: The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish.
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Refugee by Alan Gratz.
Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
For more information about this program, contact Amy Sears at amy.sears@teaneck.bccls.org.
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On January 12th, students at the Hamlin School in San Francisco, CA worked with a curated list of titles. Forty-four students read the books, and after discussing, debating, and voting they arrived at a winner. This year’s Mock Newbery winner and Honor Books are:
Mock Newbery Winner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Mock Newbery Honor Books: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.
Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar.
Forget Me Not by Elliah Terry.
For more information about this program, contact Debra Cardone at cardone@hamlin.org.
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Forty-one people gathered on January 9th at the Chicago Public Library for a Mock Newbery discussion and election; they have been holding mock discussions for 65 years. This year they selected the following mock winner and honor book:
Mock Newbery Winner: First Rule of Punk by Celia Pérez
Mock Newbery Honor Book: Isaac the Alchemist by Mary Losure.
Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.
For more information about this program, contact Liv Hanson at ehanson1@chipublib.org.
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The Dayton Metro Library in Dayton, Ohio held a Mock Newbery on December 14, 2017. The 36 people participating selected the following winner:
Mock Newbery Winner: Forever, or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter.
For more information about this program, contact Erin Wen at ewen@daytonmetrolibrary.org.
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Mock Coretta Scott King Results
(For information about the Coretta Scott King Awards, visit The Coretta Scott King Book Awards homepage.)
Deschutes Public Library Community Librarians shared 8 Mock Coretta Scott King Illustrator books at staff meetings at six different library branches. 45 library staff voted and shared comments in an online discussion. The winners were:
Mock Coretta Scott King Winner: Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee! illustrated by Keith Mallet and written by Andrea J. Loney.
Mock Coretta Scott King Honor Book: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History illustrated by Floyd Cooper and written by Walter Dean Myers.
For more information, contact Paige Bentley Flannery at paigeb@deschuteslibrary.org.
On January 24th, 10 people gathered at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library for the first every Mock Coretta Scott King Illustrator program. They selected the following winner:
Mock Coretta Scott King Winner: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
For more information about this program, contact Kimberly Patton at kpatton@kckpl.org.
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On January 24th, 10 people gathered at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library for the first every Mock Coretta Scott King Author program. They selected the following winners:
Mock Coretta Scott King Award Winner: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Mock Coretta Scott King Honor Book: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
For more information about this program, contact Kimberly Patton at kpatton@kckpl.org.
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On January 27th, after an amazing presentation by Dr. Jonda McNair, fifteen librarians from the Children’s Services Division, Oregon Library Association participated in the Mock Coretta Scott King Illustrator workshop at the Central Library in Portland, Oregon. They selected the following winners:
Mock Coretta Scott King Winner: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
Mock Coretta Scott King Honor Book: Hey Black Child by Useni Eugene Perkins and illustrated by Bryan Collier.
Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee! by Andrea J. Loney and iIllustrated by Keith Mallett.
For more information about this program, contact Paige Bentley Flannery at paigeb@dpls.or.us.
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On January 17th, at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library, eight people participated in a Mock Election program for the Coretta Scott King Author Award. The winners were:
Mock Coretta Scott King Award Winner: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Mock Coretta Scott King Honor Book: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
For more information about this program, contact Rachel Miller at rmiller@kckpl.org.
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On January 19th, 63 third graders at the Latin School of Chicago participated in a Mock Coretta Scott King program. They selected the following winner:
Mock Coretta Scott King Award Winner: The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton.
For more information about this program, contact Sheri Snopek at ssnopek@latinschool.org.
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From October through December, sixty Catherine Cook School 4th graders in Chicago, Illinois learned about the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award criteria and selected their own winner and honor titles.
Mock Coretta Scott King Winner: Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born, illustrated by Frank Morrison and written by Gene Barretta.
Mock Coretta Scott King Honor Books: It’s Shoe Time! illustrated and written by Bryan Collier.
The Ring Bearer illustrated and written by Floyd Cooper.
For more information about this program, contact Patrick Gall at library@ccookschool.org.
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Sixty-four students at Northern Hills Elementary in Onalaska, Wisconsin voted on these books as part of a Mock Coretta Scott King program, paying attention to the text; the winner and honors are for the author in this vote.
Mock Coretta Scott King Winner: Princess and the Peas written and illustrated by Rachel Himes
Mock Coretta Scott King Honor Books: Before She Was Harriet, written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E. Ransome
In Your Hands by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James and written by Derrick Barnes.
For more information about this program, contact Crystal Brunelle at brucr@onalaskaschools.com.
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Forty-one people gathered on January 9th at the Chicago Public Library for a Mock Coretta Scott King discussion and election; they have been holding mock discussions for 65 years. This year they selected the following mock winner and honor book:
Mock Coretta Scott King Winner: Hey Black Child by Useni Eugene Perkins and illustrated by Bryan Collier.
Mock Coretta Scott King Honor Books: Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James Ransome.
In Your Hands by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
For more information about this program, contact Liv Hanson at ehanson1@chipublib.org.
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Mock Geisel Results
(For information about the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, visit the Geisel Awards homepage.
The Children’s Services department of the Allen County Public Library hosted a Mock Geisel program and election on February 11th. The librarians value the opportunity to promote early readers as well as the chance to to talk with both grown-ups and kids about the real awards. Twenty-six people voted. The winners selected were:
Mock Geisel Winner: Fly Guy’s Big Family by Tedd Arnold.
Mock Geisel Honor Books: Now by Antoinette Portis.
Egg by Kevin Henkes.
For more information about this program, contact Miriam Rose at mrose@acpl.info.
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Denver Public Library hosted a morning of mock discussions for DPL staff, as well as metro-area colleagues, on February 6. Fifteen people participated. The winners were:
Mock Geisel Winner: Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Emily Hughes.
Mock Geisel Honor Books: Frankie with words and pictures by Mary Sullivan.
For more information about this program, contact Amy Forrester at aforrester@denverlibrary.org.
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On January 31, the Children’s Librarians Association of Suffolk County (CLASC) in Long Island, New York hosted a Mock Geisel program. The Mock Geisel also included a Google Hangouts discussion with Holiday House Executive Editor Grace Maccarone who shared insights on their “I Like to Read” series. Ms. Maccarone provided fascinating and informative insights on the initial development of the series, design and production details, as well as features to look for in a quality early reader. The mock winners selected were:
Mock Geisel Winner: I Got a New Friend by Karl Newsom Edwards.
Mock Geisel Honor Book: I See a Cat by Paul Meisel.
For more information on this program, contact Marybeth Kozikowski at marybeth.kozikowski@
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On January 19th, 63 students participated in the 1st Grade Mock Award program at Latin School of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. They arrived at the following winner:
Mock Geisel Winner: Triangle written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen.
For more information about this program, contact Luke Sutton at lsutton@latinschool.org
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CBE Discussions in Denver, Colorado is a group of 8 librarians, teachers, booksellers, and an author-illustrator and a person who spent years in publishing who now lives in Colorado. The diversity of backgrounds and interests in children’s books made for lively and passionate discussion.On January 28th, they arrived at the following results:
Mock Geisel Winner: Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Emily Hughes.
Mock Geisel Honor Books: Frankie with words and pictures by Mary Sullivan.
The Good for Nothing Button by Cherise Mericle Harper.
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
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From October through December, sixty Catherine Cook School 1st graders in Chicago, Illinois learned about the Geisel Award criteria and selected their own winner and honor titles.
Mock Geisel Winner: Egg, illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes.
Mock Geisel Honor Books: It’s Shoe Time! illustrated and written by Bryan Collier.
That’s My Book! And Other Stories by Salina Yoon.
For more information about this program, contact Patrick Gall at library@ccookschool.org.
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On January 25th, about 150 students at the Northern Hills Elementary in Onalaska, Wisconsin participated in a Mock Geisel program. The winners they selected were:
Mock Geisel Winner: Mine! by Jeff Mack.
Mock Geisel Honor Books: Triangle by Mac Barnett.
Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Emily Hughes.
For more information about this program, contact Crystal Brunelle at brucr@onalaskaschools.com.
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Library staff at the Sacramento Public Library met on January 12th as 4 smaller groups to more effectively mimic the experience of serving on the actual committee. After balloting in these small groups the 38 participants shared their results, and the overall winner and honors are based on the overlap.
Mock Geisel Winner: I See a Cat, written and illustrated by Paul Meisel.
Mock Geisel Honor Books: Pig, A Fox, and Stinky Socks, by Jonathan Fenske.
Charlie & Mouse, written by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Emily Hughes.
I Like the Farm by Shelley Rotner.
For more information about this program, contact Amanda Foulk at afoulk@saclibrary.org.
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Mock Printz Results
(For information about the Printz Award, visit the Printz Award homepage.)
On February 6, 12 people gathered for a joint mock Printz award annual event, co-sponsored by the Westchester Library System of Westchester County, New York, just north of N.Y.C., as well as the Westchester Library Association, Southern Westchester BOCES and SLMSSENY, part of New York Library Association. The winners they selected were:
Mock Printz Winner: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Mock Printz Honor Books: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick.
The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater.
For more information about this program, contact Z Baird at z@ypl.org
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The Half Blood Printzes is a school/public library partnership in Portland, Oregon run by ALSC members Paige Battle (Grant High School teacher librarian) and Danielle Jones (Youth Librarian for Hollywood Library). This book group brings teens together from public and private schools that are serviced by the Hollywood Library branch of County Library. This was their 3rd Annual Mock Printz. They usually choose ten titles to discuss, but this year they had eleven, so it wasn’t surprising that, instead of having just two honor titles (as has been tradition) they had three! The winners were:
Mock Printz Winner: Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Mock Printz Honor Books: Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater.
For more information about this program, contact Paige Battle at grantlibrarian@gmail.com.
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Thirteen Ramapo Catskill Library System Teen Librarians gathered on January 22nd for a Mock Printz program. The winners they selected were:
(tie) Mock Printz Winner: Bang by Barry Lyga.
(tie) Mock Printz Winner: Long Way Down byJason Reynolds.
Mock Printz Honor Books: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.
Bull by David Elliott.
For more information about this program, contact Randall Enos at renos@rcls.org.
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On January 29th, in an annual Mock Printz event, 35 librarians from the Milwaukee County Federated Library System got together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to vote on the books they thought might will win this year’s Printz Award. The titles they selected were:
Mock Printz Winner: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Mock Printz Honor Books: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez.
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An online Mock Printz group hosted on Goodreads voted for a new book to read every month and then discussed the book. In January, they began nominating and voting. The winners were:
Mock Printz Winner: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Mock Printz Honor Books: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.
List of Cages by Robin Roe.
For more information about this program, contact Dawn Abron at abron@zblibrary.org.
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Nine people at the Cuyahoga County Public Library in Parma, Ohio gathered on January 26 for a Mock Printz program. After discussing a total of 6 titles, they arrived at a clear winner with just one ballot! Voting for honor books was less concise. However, it involved a lot of great discussion to get to the final decision of having 4 honor books.
Mock Printz Winner: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Mock Printz Honor Books: Far From the Tree by Robin Benway.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green.
Release by Patrick Ness.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
For more information about this program, contact Mary Schreiber at mschreiber@cuyahogalibrary.org.
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Fifty one young adult librarians from Nassau Library System and Suffolk Cooperative Library System on Long Island participated in a mock Printz program on January 25th. Eight titles were discussed and one winner and two honor titles were chosen.
Mock Printz Winner: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Mock Printz Honor Books: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia.
For more information about this program, contact Renee McGrath at renee@nassaulibrary.org or Derek Ivie at derek@suffolknet.org.
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Thirty-five Kansas City Metro Youth Services Librarians participated in a Mock Printz discussion and election on January 18th selecting the following winner and honor book:
Mock Printz Winner: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Mock Printz Honor Books: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee.
For more information about this program, contact Lauren Olson at laurenolson@kclibrary.org.
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Twenty-five people gathered at the Dayton Metro Library in Dayton, Ohio on December 26 for a Mock Printz discussion and election. The group arrived at the following winner:
Mock Printz Winner: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
For more information about this program, contact Peter Kilkelly at PKilkelly@daytonmetrolibrary.
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On January 16th, 23 Teen Services librarians met to discuss Mock Printz, Mock Morris, Mock Nonfiction and Mock Eisner Award titles at the Harold Washington Library Center of the Chicago Public Library. The selected the following Mock Printz winner and Honor Books:
Mock Printz Winner: Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore.
Mock Printz Honor Book: Max by Sarah Cohen-Scali.
What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold
For more information about this program, contact Amy Duffy at aduffy@chipublib.org.
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Seventy-five Youth Services Librarians from the Bergen Cooperative Library System in New Jersey met to participate in the BCCLS Youth Services Committee Annual Mock Awards voting on Caldecott, Newbery and Printz contenders. The Mock Printz winners they selected were:
Mock Printz Winner: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Mock Printz Honor Book: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld and illustrated by Alex Puvilland.
For more information about this program, contact Amy Sears at amy.sears@teaneck.bccls.org.
Mock Sibert Results
(For information about the Sibert Award, visit the Sibert Award homepage.)
CBE Discussions in Denver, Colorado is a group of 8 librarians, teachers, booksellers, and an author-illustrator and a person who spent years in publishing who now lives in Colorado. The diversity of backgrounds and interests in children’s books made for lively and passionate discussion.On January 28th, they arrived at the following results:
Mock Sibert Winner: Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman.
Mock Sibert Honor Books: Rivers of Sunlight – How the Sun Moves Water Around the Earth by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm.
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Eric Velasquez.
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
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On January 19th, sixty-three 4th graders at the Latin School of Chicago participated in a Mock Sibert program. They selected the following winner:Mock Sibert:
Winner: Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton, illustrated by Victo Ngai.
For more information about this program, contact Sheri Snopek at ssnopek@latinschool.org.
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From October through December, sixty Catherine Cook School 3rd graders in Chicago, Illinois learned about the Sibert Award criteria and selected their own winner and honor titles.
Mock Sibert Winner: Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton, illustrated by Victo Ngai.
Mock Sibert Honor Books: Martina & Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Brett Helquist.
Wordplay, written and illustrated by Ivan Brunetti.
For more information about this program, contact Patrick Gall at library@ccookschool.org.
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On January 9th, 68 students at Northern Hills Elemementary in Onalaska, Wisconsin participated in a Mock Sibert program, selecting the following winner and Honor books:
Mock Sibert Winner: Sergeant Reckless : The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero written by Patricia McCormick and illustrated by Iacopo Bruno.
Mock Sibert Honor Books: Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark and illustrated by Katy Wu.
Silent Days, Silent Dreams, written and illustrated by Allen Say.
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, written by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton.
Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal and illustrated by Laura Freeman.
For more information about this program, contact Crystal Brunelle at brucr@onalaskaschools.com.
Mock Pura Belpré Results
(For information about the Pura Belpré Award, visit the Belpré Awards homepage.)
Denver Public Library hosted a morning of mock discussions for DPL staff, as well as metro-area colleagues, on February 6. Ten people participated in the Mock Pura Belpré Illustrator discussion. The winners were:
Mock Pura Belpré Winner: Sing, Don’t Cry illustrated and written by Angela Dominguez.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Books: Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos written by Monica Brown and illustrated by John Parra.
Danza!: Amalia Hernández And El Ballet Folklórico De México by Duncan Tonatiuh.
For more information about this program, contact Amy Forrester at aforrester@denverlibrary.org.
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Denver Public Library hosted a morning of mock discussions for DPL staff, as well as metro-area colleagues, on February 6. Eight people participated in the Mock Pura Belpré Author discussion. The winners were:
Mock Pura Belpré Winner: Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Books: First Rule of Punk by Celia Pérez.
For more information about this program, contact Amy Forrester at aforrester@denverlibrary.org.
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A Mock Pura Belpré Award event was held at the Butler Children’s Literature Center at Dominican University in River Forest, IL They selected the following winners:
TEXT:
Mock Pura Belpré Award Winner: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Book: Forest World by Margarita Engle
Stef Soto Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres
ILLUSTRATION:
Mock Pura Belpré Award Winner: Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Rafael Lopez.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Books: Lucía the Luchadora illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez and written by Cynthia Leonor Garza.
Miguel’s Brave Knight: Young Cervantes and His Dream of Don Quixote illustrated by Raúl Colón and written by Margarita Engle.
For more information about this program, check out this blogpost.
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On January 24th, 10 people gathered at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library for the first every Mock Pura Belpré program. They selected the following winners:
Mock Pura Belpré Award Winner: Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos written by Monica Brown and illustrated by John Parra.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Book: Danza!: Amalia Hernández and Mexico’s Folkloric Ballet by Duncan Tonatiuh.
For more information about this program, contact Kimberly Patton at kpatton@kckpl.org.
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On January 24th, 10 people gathered at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library for the first every Mock Pura Belpré program. They selected the following winners:
Mock Pura Belpré Award Winner: First Rule of Punk by Celia Pérez.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Book: Forest World by Margarita Engle.
For more information about this program, contact Kimberly Patton at kpatton@kckpl.org.
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Fourteen people at the Deschute Public Library in Bend, Oregon participated in a Mock Pura Belpré Election program on November 4th. They arrived at the following winners:
Mock Pura Belpré Award Winner: Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Rafael Lopez.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Books: All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle with illustrations by Mike Curato.
Yo Soy Muslim: A Father’s Letter to His Daughter by Mark Gonzales and illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini.
Danza!: Amalia Hernández and Mexico’s Folkloric Ballet by Duncan Tonatiuh.
For more information about this program, contact Gabriela Hernandez at gabrielah@deschuteslibrary.org.
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On January 17th, at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library, eight people participated in a Mock Election program for the Pura Belpré Award. The winners were:
Mock Pura Belpré Award Winner: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Book: First Rule of Punk by Celia Pérez.
Forest World by Margarita Engle.
For more information about this program, contact Rachel Miller at rmiller@kckpl.org.
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On January 16th, 84 students at Northern Hills Elemementary in Onalaska, Wisconsin participated in Mock Pura Belpré program, selecting the following winner and Honor books:
Mock Pura Belpré Winner: Lucía the Luchadora written by Cynthia Leonor Garza and illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez.
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Books: Danza! Amalia Hernández and el Ballet Folklórico de Mexico by Duncan Tonatiuh.
All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Mike Curato.
For more information about this program, contact Crystal Brunelle at brucr@onalaskaschools.com.
Forty-one people gathered on January 9th at the Chicago Public Library for a Mock Pura Belpré discussion and election; they have been holding mock discussions for 65 years. This year they selected the following mock winner and honor book:
Mock Pura Belpré Winner: Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle, illustrations by Rafael López/
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Books: The One Day House by Julia Durango, illustrated by Biance Diaz,
La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal.
For more information about this program, contact Liv Hanson at ehanson1@chipublib.org.
If you would like to add the mock election results from your school or library to this compilation, please send the information to ALSC Blog manager Mary Voors at alscblog@gmail.com with a subject line of “Mock Election Results.”