A Great Excuse to Read Lots of Books

I just completed the ALSC online course titled, “The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future.”  I am so happy that I decided to participate in this class and I highly recommend that everyone interested in the Newbery Medal take this course when it is offered again.

This class gave me an excuse to do something that many children’s librarians wish to do–read lots of Newbery Medal winning books.  There were times that I read five books in one week, but I was having so much fun that I didn’t want to stop.

Along with reading and discussing books from each decade of the award, we read many articles about the history of the award and perceptions over time.  We read about how the committee works, how authors and publishers respond to the award, and various praises and complaints about winners throughout the years.  Reading and discussing these articles alongside the actual books made for a very rich experience.  I feel that I have a much deeper understanding of the award and how it has changed over time.  I had no idea how much controversy this award has stirred up over the years.  I have always had a great respect for the members of the Newbery Committee, but knowing the history has strengthened the respect for their charge each year.

I will admit that I was originally a little apprehensive about taking an online class.  I was worried that the online atmosphere would not lend itself to discussions about books.  I am happy to say that I was wrong.  The online discussions were enlightening and the Moodle software made it very easy to follow each topic.

A word of advice for those of you thinking about taking this class–for every bit of effort you put into the class, you will be rewarded tenfold.  I recommend logging in to the class at least once a day.  That may sound like a lot, but you’ll never have so much fun doing homework.

Many thanks to K.T. Horning for this opportunity!

Julie Dietzel-Glair
Enoch Pratt Free Library
Baltimore, Maryland