I Must Betray You is one of those novels that straddles the line between Newbery age ranges and Printz age ranges. Will it get some love from either award committee? Or both? We’re back with Newbery Buzz Discussion #5 for 2023. To read the rest in the series or previous years’ discussions, check out the Newbery Buzz Page. I Must Betray You: Background Betsy: Megan, I think this is the first book by Ruta Sepetys that you’ve read; you don’t tend to read as many gritty YA novels as I do. But it’s my fourth Sepetys novel, and, I think, her most well-written (Between Shades of Gray is still my…

The American Library Association will announce the winners of its very influential Youth Media Awards, headed by the Newbery and Caldecott. Since we can’t help projecting, here are three more titles that appeared in Mock Newbery and “best of” lists last year. Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega, art by Rose Bousamra. First Second, 2023, 213 pages. Marlene’s least favorite day of the week is Sunday, where she spends hours at the salon getting her hair straightened. The Saturday before her cousin Diana’s quinceañera is especially grueling, because Marlene will suffer by comparison with Diana’s “good hair,” whatever she does. “Bad hair” is the legacy of her late father, but it’s…

The American Library Association will announce the winners of its very influential Youth Media Awards, headed by the Newbery and Caldecott. Since we can’t help projecting, here are three more titles that appeared in Mock Newbery and “best of” lists last year. Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega, art by Rose Bousamra. First Second, 2023, 213 pages. Marlene’s least favorite day of the week is Sunday, where she spends hours at the salon getting her hair straightened. The Saturday before her cousin Diana’s quinceañera is especially grueling, because Marlene will suffer by comparison with Diana’s “good hair,” whatever she does. “Bad hair” is the legacy of her late father, but it’s…

Does an independently published novel like Jack Zulu have what it takes to win the Newbery? We’re back with Newbery Buzz Discussion #4 for 2023. To read the rest in the series or previous years’ discussions, check out the Newbery Buzz Page. Independently Published Books Betsy: Megan, we’ve never discussed an independently published book in our Newbery Buzz series before! We’re breaking new ground. First, let me acknowledge that independently published books may never grace the Newbery stage. Why? For starters, they simply don’t have the marketing budget and resources of a big publishing house. Newbery committee members receive so many free books throughout the year, most—if not all—sent by…

Editor’s Note: On Monday, the American Library Association announces its annual Youth Media Awards But how many of the honored books will still be read 10 years from now? Over-booked! Originally published on the Tumblon website on September 1, 2009 Do you remember the hilarious story in Homer Price* about the doughnut machine that kept spilling out doughnuts faster and faster, a gadget with no shut-off button? It’s a favorite chapter in the book for most readers. Thinking of it makes me smile. That’s the way people feel if they want to keep up on children’s books—there is an endless supply of new ones. Someone recently sent me an email,…

In a whimsical tale within a tale, two royal children discover that their castle (and their own mother!) have a very interesting past. A Dragon Used to Live Here by Annette LeBlanc Cate. Candlewick, 2022, 256 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended For: ages 6-12 as a read-aloud, 8-12 independent readers Noble children Thomas and Emily are at a bit of a loose end. While the castle is busy preparing for a surprise party, it’s summer, and they have free time. Imagine their interest when they discover a mysterious door leading to a world of scribes and party invitations. Leading the scribes is the irascible Meg who claims…

Might Gary Paulsen’s last novel be a sentimental favorite for Newbery recognition? The State of Nature Betsy: Janie, this is only the second Paulsen book I’ve read (the first was Gone to the Woods, his stark memoir published last year). Before reading Northwind, I read your review in which you compared this to Hatchet (a book I must read someday!). I can’t speak to its similarities to Hatchet, I enjoyed Northwind more than Gone to the Woods, simply based on the reading experience. It’s not as grim or despairing, although, as you point out in your review, the opening chapters “are unrelievedly grim, as death stalks all of Leif’s companions…