Each year the American Library Association honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards – including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards – guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. As we approach the annual Youth Media Award (YMA) announcements to be held at the 2023 LibLearnX, libraries, schools, and book discussion groups around the globe offer Mock Election programs.
Mock YMA Election programs are a wonderful opportunity for children’s literature aficionados to learn more about some of the great, recently published books for kids. Below, you will find results from mock elections around the country. This page will be updated as results are received. (Because most Mock YMA Elections are held in December and January, keep checking back for more results.)
To add your mock election results to this page, please use this form. Please attach a copy of the ALSC Photo Release Waiver if you would like images of participants to be included.
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
- Mock (Mildred L.) Batchelder Results
- Mock Sydney Taylor Results
Mock Caldecott Results
(For information about the Caldecott Award, visit the Caldecott Medal homepage.)
Three hundred students in Grades Kindergarten through Grade 2 at Osage School in Voorhees, NJ participated in our Mock Caldecott through Google Forms. They selected one winning title.
Mock Newbery Winner:
Pigeon & Cat, illustrated and written by Edward Hemingway
For more information about this program, contact Caitlin Peluszak at peluszak@voorhees.k12.nj.us.
The four second grade classes at the Ethical Culture School in New York, NY reviewed eight titles and voted on Thursday and Friday, January 26 and 28. The 62 students selected one Mock Caldecott winner and two Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
The Great Zapfino, illustrated by Marla Frazee and written by Mac Barnett
For more information about this program, contact Nicole Sterling at nsterling@ecfs.org.
Seven Youth Library staff in the St. Charles Public Library District in St. Charles, IL participated in a Mock Caldecott program. They selected one winning title and three Honor Books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
Mock Caldecott Honor Book:
Witch Hazel, illustrated and written by Molly Idle
Lizzy and the Cloud, illustrated and written by Terry Fan and Eric Fan
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Twenty-one community members and Children’s Literature students from BGSU met with former Caldecott committee chair Kathy East at the Wood County District Public Library to choose a Mock Caldecott winner from a pool of 24 curated titles. They selected one winner and three Honor titles.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Circles in the Sky, illustrated and written by Karl James Mountford
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Witch Hazel, illustrated and written by Molly Idle
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Snow Horses, illustrated by Micha Archer and written by Patricia MacLaughlan
For more information about this program, contact Cassie Greenlee at cassandragreenlee@wcdpl.org.
Mr. Wright has been doing this project with his third grade class at Kensico School in Valhalla, NY since 2001, and it has always been one of the highlights of their year! They begin in mid-November, and finish right before the announcement of the real winners. This year the twenty students selected one Mock Caldecott winner and five Mock Honor titles.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Daniel Minter and written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
For more information about this program, please contact Bill Wright at bwright@valhallaschools.org.
The Scottsdale Public Library in Scottsdale, AZ had 24 participants – children up to adults – at their Mock Caldecott program. Some of our strongest opinions came from children and teens. They met for 2 hours, read the books two children’s librarians had narrowed down to 15, discussed all 15 learning the mediums, and voted. Reports the organizer: “It was awesome!”
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Lizzy and the Cloud, illustrated and written by Terry Fan and Eric Fan
Tiny Dino, illustrated and written by Deborah Freedman
For more information about this program, contact Megan Guderian at mguderian@scottsdalesz.gov.
The 2023 Outer Cape Mock Caldecott is a collaboration between the Truro and Provincetown Public Libraries, Truro Central School, and Provincetown IB School. Librarians met and communicated throughout the fall of 2022 and the six selections were read to students over a two month period. Ninety one students participated, selecting one Mock winner and two Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Out of a Jar, illustrated and written by Deborah Marcero
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Circles in the Sky, illustrated and written by Karl James Mountford
Kick Push, illustrated and written by Frank Morrison
For more information about this program, contact Maggie Hanelt at mhanelt@clamsnet.org.
The Toledo Lucas County Public Library in Toledo, OH held their 50th annual Mock Caldecott Read-In this year! The programs the last 2 years were held on Zoom and staff were excited to welcome 37 teachers and librarians to our “in-person” event this year. Participants examined the selected top 100 books during the morning, then heard librarian reviews of the Top Ten titles. Following a box lunch and Caldecott trivia, a local Mock winner and honor books were selected.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
For more information about this program, contact Nancy Eames at nancy.eames@toledolibrary.org.
This was a passive program at the Frank Sarris Public Library in Canonsburg, PA. Fifteen potential winners were on display with ballts patrons could fill out. We ended up with a three-way tie: a couple of staff members placed their own votes to break the tie and crown Blue as our Mock Caldecott winner.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Daniel Minter and written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
How to Eat a Book, illustrated and written by Mrs. and Mr. MacLeod
Twenty four librarians from Northeast Indiana met at the Wells County Public Library in Bluffton, IN for an all-day session from 9:00 to 3:30. They examined and discussed 66 titles, ultimately selecting on Mock Caldecott winner and three Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Witch Hazel, illustrated and written by Molly Idle
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
For more information about this program, contact Susan Dailey at sdailey@wellscolibrary.org.
All 220 Kindergarten through third grade students at East Meadow School in Granby, MA participated in the Mock Caldecott program. Each week during library time, we read two books aloud, and they voted on which illustrations they liked best. K-1 read one set of books, and 2nd-3rd grade read a different set, so we had a lot of titles in the mix. A tally was kept, and our winner and honor books were the ones with the most votes overall – not like the real committee, but good for our first year of the program.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Somewhere in the Bayou, illustrated and written by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
The Blur illustrated by Dan Santat and written by Minh Lê
Don’t Worry, Murray, illustrated and written by David Ezra Stein
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
For more information about this program, contact Jenny Arch at jarch22@granbyschoolsma.net.
Three hundred students at Lenexa Hills Elementary in Lenexa, KS read a variety of books this past month and voted this week. The selected one Mock Caldecott winner and three Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings, illustrated by Dan Santat and written by Laurel Snyder
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Lizzy and the Cloud illustrated and written by Terry Fan and Eric Fan
The Blur illustrated by Dan Santat and written by Minh Lê
For more information about this program, contact Amanda Arndt at amandaarndt@smsd.org.
The Foote School (New Haven, CT) 4th grade Mock Caldecott Award Roundtable oundtable takes place from the beginning of school through the fall. The criteria are presented to the students, and we read one picture book each week, reading 5 books together total. Then the students work in groups of three to study one book in depth, to assess how well it met the criteria and to select one illustration to project and present to the class. After the presentations, every 4th grader voted on which book they feel met the criteria best. The 53 students selected one winner and one Honor book.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Mock Caldecott Honor Book:
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Daniel Minter and written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
For more information about this program, please contact Anna Collins at astover@footeschool.org.
Three hundred twenty students at Belinder Elementary School in Prairie Village, KS voted on two Caldecott hopefuls during each library class during the month of January. They recorded their scores in five areas (quality of illustrations, etc.) on a google form. Wendy Oviatt tallied the votes and averaged them for the results. One winning title and three Honor titles were selected.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
Out of a Jar, illustrated and written by Deborah Marcero
Tiny Dino, illustrated and written by Deborah Freedman
For more information about this program, contact Wendy Oviatt at wendyoviatt@smsd.org.
Thirty students in The Bloomington Project School‘s multi-age 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade class spent four weeks studying previous winners and then reading 16 books and critiquing their illustrations and sharing opinions. Whenever possible, the students learned about the illustrators and their techniques. We used a bracket to narrow down our results. Students also wrote about their personal pick from all 16 books. Ultimately, they selected one winner and three Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings, illustrated by Dan Santat and written by Laurel Snyder
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Daniel Minter and written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
The Circles in the Sky illustrated and written by Karl James Mountford
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
One hundred forty kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grader students from Kresson Elementary in Voorhees, NJ met once a week in the library to listen to 10 books. Then they voted for the one they thought would win this year’s Caldecott Medal, selecting one winner and two Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Tiny Dino, illustrated and written by Deborah Freedman
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Pigeon & Cat, illustrated and written by Edward Hemingway
For more information about this program, contact Lisa Richards at richardsl@voorhees.k12.nj.us.
This book discussion group at the Eldredge Public Library is celebrating its 5th year, with several of its “charter” members still active. We are a a group of adults who meet monthly to discuss the featured titles using the award criteria for selection, discussion, and balloting. This year, the group of thirteen people read 49 titles for the Mock Caldecott. One Medal and four Honor books were selected.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
The Legend of Gravity, illustrated and written by Charlie Palmer
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright, illustrated by Jason Griffin and written by Jason Reynolds
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual, illustrated by Frank Morrison and written by Carole Boston Weatherford
For more information about this program, contact Tamara DePasquale at tdepasquale@clamsnet.org.
Stephanie Saggione met with 28 students in a first grade class at ASPIRA Academy in Newark, DE a few times a week from November to January. They read 18 new books and evaluated them against the Caldecott criteria. On the last day, they voted until they came up with a clear winner and three Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Daniel Minter and written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
Love in the Library, illustrated by Yas Imamura and written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
For more information about this program, contact Stephanie Saggione at stephanie.saggione@laaa.k12.de.us.
Twenty well-reviewed picture books from 2022 were on display in the opportunity space at the Wilmington Stroop Branch of the Dayton Metro Library in Kettering, Ohio. Patrons were able to look through them all and vote for their top 3 choices. There were also water color and pastel art supplies available to make their own Caldecott worthy art! Fifty-three people participated and selected one winner and three Honor Books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
The Wishing Balloons illustrated and written by Jonathan D. Voss
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Hot Dog illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Gibberish illustrated and written by Young Vo
Endlessly Ever After, illustrated by Dan Santat and written by Laurel Snyder
For more information about this program, contact Melissa Sokol at msokol@daytonmetrolibrary.org.
The Colorado Book Discussion Group is a group of mostly librarians and some publishing folks in Denver, Colorado who meet throughout the year to discuss books. The seven members vote for winners in January.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Love in the Library illustrated by Yas Imamura and written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Farmhouse illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Witch Hazel illustrated and written by Molly Idle
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
Most of the participants in the Mock Caldecott event were staffmembers with the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Youth Experience Service, however, we had several additional guests who share an interest in children’s literature. Throughout the year, the Youth and Teen Collections Librarian, Jessica Beal, compiled a list of the starred reviewed titles. On the day of the event, the voting process began with fifty-five picture books that were selected by starred reviews and additional titles that were recommended on reputable blogs and websites. After four voting rounds, the 23 participants selected a Mock winner and 4 Mock Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
The Flamingo: The Graphic Novel illustrated and written by Guojing
Isla to Island illustrated and written by Alexis Castellanos
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
For more information about this program, contact Jessica Beal at jessicab@evpl.org.
Ten teachers and school librarians met at Monon Trail Elementary School in Westfield, Indiana for a half-day workshop where 35 titles were examined and discussed. They selected one Mock Caldecott winner and three Honor Books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
Hot Dog, illustrated and written by Doug Salati
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
For more information about this program, contact Susan Dailey at sdailey@wellscolibrary.org.
For more information about this program, contact Susan Dailey at sdailey@wellscolibrary.org.
Carmel Clay Public Library in Carmel, IN hosted an all-day Mock Caldecott program attended by 35 librarians from central Indiana. They examined approximately 70 titles during the morning and voted on their top 10 choices. Then the list of contenders was reduced to 34 titles and the participants voted a second time for their top 5 choices in preferential order. The votes were weighted and a list of 5 finalists resulted. After discussion, the group selected a Mock Caldecott winner and two Honor books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
For more information about this program, contact Susan Dailey at sdailey@wellscolibrary.org.
The Mock Awards consisted of BCCLS library staff in Northern New Jersey. The BCCLS Youth Services Committee put forward nominations and 35 attendees voted at the event.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Gibberish illustrated and written by Young Vo
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Blue: a History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Daniel Minter and written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
Berry Song, by illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
Witch Hazel, illustrated and written by Molly Idle
A is for Bee, by Ellen Heck
How to Eat a Book, illustrated by Darrin MacLeod and written by Kelly MacLeod
The San Jose Public Library staff held their 6th annual Mock Caldecott discussion on January 19, 2023, socially distanced via Zoom. Twenty staffmembers read various pre-selected titles and discussed which book or books could take home this year’s award based on the award’s criteria. After some thoughtful and lovely discussion, the SJPL staff voted for a winner and three honor titles. See more about our meeting and the results of our vote here: https://www.sjpl.org/blog/sjpl-mock-caldecott-2023
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
Witch Hazel, illustrated and written by Molly Idle
For more information about this program, contact Lizzie Nolan at elizabeth.nolan@sjlibrary.org.
The ALSC Membership Committee held a Mock Caldecott discussion as part of our virtual gathering on January 19th. Three panelists–two former Caldecott committee members themselves–and approximately 16 other ALSC members or prospectives discussed six pre-selected titles, and then took part in a ranked voting system to simulate the real process. The following were our results:
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Choosing Brave, illustrated by Janelle Washington and written by Angela Joy
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
The World Belonged to Us, illustrated by Leo Espinosa, written by Jacqueline Woodson.
For more information about this virtual program, contact Aryssa Damron at aryssa.damron@gmail.com.
This fall, Rhode Island librarians met 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 6 children’s and school librarians selected the following winner and honor books after reading and discussing 33 eligible books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Lizzy and the Cloud, illustrated and written by Terry Fan and Eric Fan
Mushroom Rain, illustrated by Jamie Green and written by Laura K. Zimmermann
For more information about this program, contact Danielle Margarida at danielle.margarida@olis.ri.gov.
Clausen (used with permission)
Twenty staffmembers from our Gail Borden Public Library Kidspace Department met once to learn about the Caldecott Award and picture book evaluation. Everyone then had a month to critically examine a list of 25 titles. During our January department meeting, staff advocated for titles and discussed together, then voted, selecting one Caldecott winner and two Caldecott Honor Books.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
For more information about this program, contact Katie Clausen at kclausen@gailborden.info.
Eight titles were nominated for Chicago Public Library’s Mock Caldecott in December 2022. Twenty-five librarians and staff independently read and reviewed these titles before meeting online for a final two-hour discussion and vote. One winner and two Honor Books were selected:
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Choosing Brave illustrated by Janelle Washington, text by Angela Joy
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Every Dog in the Neighborhood illustrated by Matthew Cordell, written by Philip Stead
The World Belonged to Us illustrated by Leo Espinosa, written by Jacqueline Woodson
For more information about this program, contact Liv A. Hanson at ehanson1@chipublib.org.
Five Cuyahoga County Public Library staff members attended the discussion at Panera Bread and after 3 rounds of balloting a clear winner emerged following the Caldecott manual guidelines; three Honor Books were also chosen.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Witch Hazel, illustrated and written by Molly Idle
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright, art by Jason Griffin, text by Jason Reynolds
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
A Spoonful of Frogs, illustrated by Vera Brosgol, text by Casey Lyall
For more information about this program, contact Mary Schreiber at mschreiber@cuyahogalibrary.org.
Five Cuyahoga County Public Library staff members in Parma, Ohio used the online ballot to rank their votes. While the ballot was ranked and weighted per the Caldecott manual, none of the titles got the required (in our case) 3 first place votes. So, the winner and honor titles were based solely on points.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Choosing Brave illustrated by Janelle Washington, text by Angela Joy
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright, art by Jason Griffin, text by Jason Reynolds
Farmhouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall
Standing in the Need of Prayer, illustrated by Frank Morrison, text by Carole Boston Weatherford
Witch Hazel, illustrated and written by Molly Idle
For more information about this program, contact Mary Schreiber at mschreiber@cuyahogalibrary.org.
Beginning on November 11, the staff members of the Wakarusa Public Library in Wakarusa, IN examined eligible picture books during one portion of their staff in-service day. Each staff member then nominated 1 title for the ballot. Over 2 rounds of voting, the winning title and honor books were chosen. This is the fourth year that the staff has held a Mock Caldecott program. One winning title and two Honor Books were selected.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Farmhouse, written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Knight Owl illustrated and written by Christopher Denise
Sal Boat by Thyra Heder
For more information about this program, contact Matthew Bowers at mbowers@wakarusa.lib.in.us.
Adult class members from ALSC’s Summer of 2022 Art of Picture Books course extended their virtual study by doing a Mock Caldecott. We met twice before doing our final deliberations. Not all participants were able to make it to the final day of deliberations and voting. One winning title and three Honor Books were selected.
Mock Caldecott Winner:
Farmhouse, written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Mock Caldecott Honor Books:
Berry Song, illustrated and written by Michaela Goade
Gibberish, illustrated and written by Young Vo
Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual, illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Carole Boston Weatherford
For more information about this program, contact Danielle Jones at jones.danielle.jones@gmail.com.
Mock Newbery Results
(For information about the Newbery Award, visit the Newbery Medal homepage.)
This was a brand new book club at the Los Altos Library in Los Altos, CA, so the Mock Newbery was the first meeting. Two children and two librarians participated. It was fun discussing the Newbery Award and how the committee works, as well as choosing the books for the winners. They selected one Mock Newbery Award and four Mock Newbery Honor titles.
Mock Newbery Winner:
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro
Swim Team, written and illustrated by Johnnie Christmas
Falling Short by Edward Cisneros
Attack of the Black Rectangles by A. S. King
For more information about this program, contact Pat Oey at poey@sccl.org.
Readers on the Heavy Medal blog (SLJ) were invited to vote in an online poll for their Newbery winner based on the 15 books on the Heavy Medal booklist. The 150 participants in this Heavy Medal Readers Poll selected one Mock Newbery winner and four Mock Newbery Honor titles.
Mock Newbery Winner:
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Ain’t Burned All the Bright, by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason Griffin
For more information about this program, contact Emily Mroczek at Emilyrmroczek@gmail.com.
Approximately 300 individuals watched the live Heavy Medal (SLJ) webcast and voted for their titles from the five titles on the shortlist in the Heavy Medal Viewers Poll. They selected one Mock Newbery winner and two Mock Newbery Honor titles.
Mock Newbery Winner:
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright, by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason Griffin
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
For more information about this program, contact Emily Mroczek at Emilyrmroczek@gmail.com.
Sixteen librarians and literature advocates from around the country represented the Heavy Medal Award (SLJ) committee and discussed a shortlist of 5 titles on a live webcast. They selected one Mock Newbery winner and one Mock Newbery Honor title.
Mock Newbery Winner:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright, by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason Griffin
Mock Newbery Honor Book:
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
For more information about this program, contact Emily Mroczek at Emilyrmroczek@gmail.com.
All 35 participants were BCCLS library staff in Northern New Jersey. The nominees were chosen by sub-committees within our Youth Services Committee and everyone voted on the winner at the event.
Mock Newbery Winner:
How to Build a Human In Seven Evolutionary Steps by Pamela S. Turner, illustrated by John Gurche
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
The Last Mapmaker, written by Christina Soontornvat
Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs, written by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Iveliz Explains It All, written by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Aviva Vs. the Dybbuk, written by Mari Lowe
Attack of the Black Rectangles, written by Amy Sarig King
The Colorado Book Discussion Group is a group of mostly librarians and some publishing folks in Denver, Colorado who meet throughout the year to discuss books. The seven members vote for winners in January.
Mock Newbery Winner:
Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
The Last Mapmaker by Christine Soontornvat
The Patron Thief of Bread by Lindsay Eager
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
This book discussion group at the Eldredge Public Library is celebrating its 10th year, with several of its “charter” members still active. We are a a group of tweens, teens and adults who meet monthly to discuss the featured titles using the award criteria for selection, discussion, and balloting. This year, the group read 26 titles for the Mock Newbery. One Newbery winner and three Honor Books were selected.
Mock Newbery Winner:
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
Freewater, written by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance, written by Lisa Yee
Black Bird, Blue Road, written by Sofiya Pasternack
For more information about this program, contact Tamara DePasquale at tdepasquale@clamsnet.org.
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. This year participants read and discussed 41 eligible books.
Mock Newbery Winner:
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason Griffin
Blackbird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack
The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
For more information about this program, contact Danielle Margarida at danielle.margarida@olis.ri.gov.
While the weather didn’t cooperate for an in person meeting, the virtual discussion proved fruitful. Seven Cuyahoga Public Library staff members came together on Zoom to discuss our 6 contenders. After 2 rounds of balloting we had a winner and 2 clear honor books.
Mock Newbery Winner:
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
Falling Short, by Ernesto Cisneros
Violet and Jobie in the Wild, by Lynne Rae Perkins
For more information about this program, contact Mary Schreiber at mschreiber@cuyahogalibrary.org.
We held a Mock Newbery training for Librarians within our library system (Hartford County Public Library) and discussed 6 titles which we deemed Newbery contenders. Fourteen people participated. This was our first Mock Newbery but hope to continue next year and expand by offering a Mock Caldecott training as well.
Mock Newbery Winner:
Because of You, John Lewis: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
Berry Song by Michaela Goade
Cornbread & Poppy by Matthew Cordell
For more information about this program, contact Bethany Vangrin at vangrin@hcplonline.org.
Eight titles were nominated for consideration for Chicago Public Library’s Mock Newbery in December 2022. Twenty Librarians and staff independently read and reviewed these titles before meeting online for a final two-hour group discussion and vote. They selected one winner and two Honor Book:
Mock Newbery Winner:
Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp
Mock Newbery Honor Books:
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance written by Lisa Yee
Tumble written by Celia Perez
For more information about this program, contact Liv A. Hanson at ehanson1@chipublib.org.
Mock Coretta Scott King Results
(For information about the Coretta Scott King Awards, visit Coretta Scott King Book Awards homepage.)
Denver Public Library hosted a virtual Coretta Scott King illustrator mock for staff. Team leads read, discussed and created a short list of 6 titles. The short list was shared with colleagues a month before the event. Twelve people participated and selected one Mock winner and two Mock Honor books.
Mock Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award:
Hold Them Close: A Love Letter to Black Children, illustrated by Patrick Dougher and Jamel Shabazz and written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow.
Mock Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books:
Swim Team, illustrated and written by Johnnie Christmas
Maya’s Song, illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Renée Watson
For more information about this program, contact Ann Schwab at aschwab@mary-kuehner.
Thirty 5th graders at Patwin Elementary in Davis, CA met during the month of January to read and vote for their Mock Coretta Scott King winners. They selected one winner and one Honor book.
Mock Coretta Scott King Winner:
Bessie the Motorcycle Queen by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Charlot Kristensen
Mock Coretta Scott King Honor Book:
Because of You, John Lewis: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, written by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown
For more information about this program, contact Crystal Brunelle at cbrunelle@djusd.net.
A dedicated group of eleven CSK enthusiasts met at the Covington Library in Covington, KY, both in person and virtually, to discuss the award, its history, terms and criteria, and five books apiece for Author and Illustrator awards. After a spirited and thoughtful discussion, the committee chose two Author Honors and three Illustrator Honors along with the Medal winners (all pictured here; photo taken by Alia Jones). We look forward to the announcement of the real CSK winners in a few weeks!
Mock Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner:
A History of Me by Adrea Theodore (illustrated by Erin Robinson)
Mock Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books:
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler, by Ibi Zoboi
Swim Team, by Johnnie Christmas
Mock Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award:
Emile and the Field, illustrated by Chioma Ebinama, written by Kevin Young
Mock Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books:
Black: The Many Wonders of My World, illustrated by Constance Moore;
I’m Not Small, illustrated by Nina Crews
Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist For Justice, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
For more information, contact Sam Bloom at sam.bloom@kentonlibrary.org
Mock Geisel Results
(For information about the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, visit the Geisel Awards homepage.)
The Colorado Book Discussion Group is a group of mostly librarians and some publishing folks in Denver, Colorado who meet throughout the year to discuss books. The seven members vote for winners in January.
Mock Geisel Winner:
Cornbread & Poppy by Matthew Cordell
Mock Geisel Honor Books:
Gigi and Ojiji by Melissa Iwai
Sir Ladybug by Corey Tabor
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
Mock Printz Results
(For information about the Printz Award, visit the Printz Award homepage.)
All 35 participants were BCCLS library staff in Northern New Jersey. The nominees were chosen by sub-committees within our Youth Services Committee and everyone voted on the winner at the event.
Mock Printz Winner:
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Mock Printz Honor Books:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright, written by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason Griffin
Medusa, written by Jessie Burton, illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jen Ferguson
Nothing Burns as Bright as You, written by Ashley Woodfolk
The Epic Story of Every Living Thing, written by Deb Caletti
The Colorado Book Discussion Group is a group of mostly librarians and some publishing folks in Denver, Colorado who meet throughout the year to discuss books. The seven members vote for winners in January.
Mock Printz Winner:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds with art by Jason Griffin
Mock Printz Honor Books:
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Ironhead, or Once a Young Lady by Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
Nine Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma, Ohio) staff members met at Panera Bread for a lively discussion of award criteria and how they applied to our 5 titles. After thoroughly talking about each title, balloting began using the Printz manual guidelines. After only 1 round of voting, we had a unanimous winner and 1 honor book.
Mock Printz Winner:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds with art by Jason Griffin
Mock Printz Honor Book:
The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti
For more information about this program, contact Mary Schreiber at mschreiber@cuyahogalibrary.org.
Over the course of the past year, a committee of Austin Public library staff met three times to nominate and discuss 67 potential winners before developing a final list of 10 titles to be considered at the January voting meeting. On January 20, a group of 16 selected the following a winner and two honor books after a discussion and four rounds of voting.
Mock Printz Winner:
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Mock Printz Honor Books:
Man O’War, written by Cory McCarthy
Unequal, written by Marc Favreau and Michael Eric Dyson
For more information about this Mock Printz program, contact Heather Rowan at heather.rowan@austintexas.gov.
This book discussion group at Eldredge Public Library in Chatham, MA is celebrating its 8th year, with several of its “charter” members still active. We are a a group of adults who meet monthly to discuss the featured titles using the award criteria for selection, discussion, and balloting. This year, the group of 14 people read 24 titles for the Mock Printz. One title was selected as the Mock Printz winner and three books were chosen as Honor books.
Mock Printz Winner:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason Griffin
Mock Printz Honor Books:
All My Rage, written by Sabaa Tahir
Man Made Monsters, written by Andrea Rogers, Illustrated by Jeff Edwards
Victory Stand: Raising My Fist For Justice, Written by Tommie Smith & Derrick Barnes, Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwhile
For more information about this program, contact Tamara DePasquale at tdepasquale@clamsnet.org.
Mock Sibert Results
(For information about the Sibert Award, visit the Sibert Award homepage.)
Three hundred students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 at Osage School in Voorhees, NJ participated in our Mock Sibert through Google Forms. They selected one winning title.
Mock Sibert Winner:
The Sweetest Scoop: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Revolution, written by Lisa Robinson with pictures by Stacy Innerst
For more information about this program, contact Caitlin Peluszak at peluszak@voorhees.k12.nj.us.
The Colorado Book Discussion Group consists of seven people who meet in Denver, CO throughout the year to nominate titles and discuss, voting in January for Mock Sibert winners. This year we selected one Mock Sibert winner and two Sibert Honor titles.
Mock Sibert Winner:
A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis
Mock Sibert Honor Books:
How to Build a Human by Pamela Turner, illustrated by John Anthony Gurche
Blue by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, illustrated by Daniel Minter
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
Approximately 180 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students from Kresson School in Voorhees, NJ participated in a Mock Sibert program. They met once a week since the beginning of December and read books. They finalized voting the week of January 9th, selecting one winner and two Honor books.
Mock Sibert Winner:
The Sweetest Scoop: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Revolution, written by Lisa Robinson with pictures by Stacy Innerst
Mock Sibert Honor Books:
Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown
Nellie vs. Elizabeth: Two Daredevil Journalists’ Breakneck Race Around the World by Kate Hannigan, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon
For more information about this program, contact Lisa Richards at Richardsl@voorhees.k12.nj.us.
Mock Pura Belpré Results
(For information about the Pura Belpré Award, visit the Belpré Awards homepage.)
Fourth graders at Patwin Elementary in Davis, CA met multiple times in the month of January to read and discuss books for our Mock event. Twenty-five students took notes, drew pictures, and talked up their favorites. They selected one Mock winner and one Mock Honor book.
Mock Pura Belpré Winner:
My Town/Mi Pueblo by Nicholas Solis, illustrated by Luisa Uribe
Mock Pura Belpré Honor Book:
El Toro and Friends Team Up by Raúl the Third with colors by Elaine Bay
For more information about this program, contact Crystal Brunelle at cbrunelle@djusd.net.
Denver Public Library hosted a virtual Pura Belpré illustrator mock for staff. Team leads read, discussed and created a short list of 6 titles. The short list was shared with colleagues a month before the event. Twelve people participated and selected one Mock winner and one Mock Honor book.
Mock Pura Belpré Illustrator Winner:
Climb On!, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara and written by Baptiste Paul
Mock Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book:
Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land, illustrated and written by Mirelle Ortega
For more information about this program, contact Ann Schwab at aschwab@denverlibrary.org.
On a very rainy day in Los Angeles, fourteen adults, children, and teen patrons met at Central Library to hear a presentation about Latinx youth literature published in 2022. By a very close margin, we picked our winners for the Mock Pura Belpré (out of seven finalists for each category).
Mock Pura Belpré Children’s Author Winner:
Miss Quinces, written & illustrated by Kat Fajardo
Mock Pura Belpré Children’s Illustrator Winner:
Beauty Woke, illustrated by Paola Escobar, written by NoNieqa Ramos
Mock Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Winner:
Frizzy, written by Claribel Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra
Mock (Mildred L.) Batchelder Results
(For information about the Batchelder Award, visit the (Mildred L.) Batchelder homepage.)
This Colorado Book Discussion Group of seven members who meet throughout the year in Colorado to nominate titles. A vote in January led to one winner and two Honor titles.
Mock Batchelder Winner:
The Book That Did Not Want to Be Read written and illustrated by David Sundin
Mock Batchelder Honor Books:
Bear and the Whisper of the Wind by Marianne Dubuc
Madani’s Best Game by Fran Pintadera, illistrated by Raquel Catalina
For more information about this program, contact Carol Edwards at edwarc48@gmail.com.
Mock Sydney Taylor Results
(For information about the Sydney Taylor Book Award, visit the Sydney Taylor Book Award homepage)
This is the 3rd year of Mock Sydney Taylor Book Awards, chosen by popular vote through the Sydney Taylor Schmooze mock award blog. Two hundred and fifty people participated in selecting a winner, an Honor, and a Notable book in each of three categories; Picture Books, Middle Grade Books, and YA Books.
Picture Book Mock Winner:
Alone Together on Dan Street by Erica Cohen Lyons, illustrated by Jennifer Jamieson
Picture Book Sydney Taylor Mock Honor:
The Tower of Life by Chana Stiefel, illustrated by Susan Gal
Picture Book Sydney Taylor Mock Notable:
The Very Best Sukkah by Shoshana Nambi, illustrated by Moran Yogev
Middle Grade Sydney Taylor Mock Winner:
Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe
Middle Grade Sydney Taylor Mock Honor:
Honey and Me by Meira Drazin
Middle Grade Sydney Taylor Mock Notable:
Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack
YA Sydney Taylor Mock Winner:
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum
YA Sydney Taylor Mock Honor:
Some Kind of Hate by Sarah Darer Littman
YA Sydney Taylor Mock Notable:
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
For more information about this program, contact Heidi Rabinowitz at sydneytaylorshmooze@gmail.com.
The 2023 Youth Media Award announcements will take place on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, at 8 a.m. (Central time) during LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience. For those unable attend in person, we are pleased to announce two virtual viewing options:
* Watch the livestream
* Join us on the ALA Facebook page
Seals can be purchased in advance to place them on 2023 award winning books, just visit the ALA Store!
Results from previous mock elections are available: 2016 mock elections , the 2017 mock elections, the 2018 mock elections, the 2019 mock elections, the 2020 elections, the 2021 mock elections, and last year’s mock (2022) YMA elections.
If you would like to add the mock election results from your school, library, bookstore, or book discussion group to this compilation, please use this form.