Monday, December 24, 2007

What are your favorite Newbery books?

My children's literature professor in library school said: "If you learn only one thing from this class, let it be this: Newbery is spelled with one R."

I learned much more from the class than that. But I certainly did take away the fact that the Newbery Medal is named after the British publisher John Newbery, who spelled his last name with one R, not two. And since then, I cringe every time I see the Newberry Medal mentioned. Talking about the books that have won the Newbery Medal is far more interesting than learning how to spell it, but I couldn't resist slipping that in.

I just finished up a poll about favorite Caldecott books, so it's only natural that now I'm switching to favorite Newbery books. To find out more about the Newbery medal, click here. Here's a list of all the Newbery medalists, and here's a list of all the winners and honor books.

I just added an extremely lengthy poll to this blog... even longer than the Caldecott poll, because the Newbery has been around longer. What are your favorite books that won the Newbery Medal?

Here's mine:

  • 2007: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
  • 1999: Holes by Louis Sachar
  • 1984: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
  • 1979: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
  • 1978: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
  • 1972: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
  • 1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
  • 1949: King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
  • 1944: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

And here are my favorite Newbery honor books:

  • 2007: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
  • 2007: Rules by Cynthia Lord
  • 2000: Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm
  • 1996: The Great Fire by Jim Murphy
  • 1982: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
  • 1979: The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
  • 1978: Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
  • 1976: Dragonwings by Laurence Yep
  • 1973: Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
  • 1953: Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
  • 1948: Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
  • 1944: These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • 1942: Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • 1941: The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • 1940: By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • 1939: Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater
  • 1938: On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • 1929: Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág

Please vote, I'd love to see your opinion. The results from my Caldecott poll were fascinating. You can pick as many of your favorite Newbery medal winners as you like (sorry, I didn't include honor books for sanity's sake.)

And if you learn only one thing from this post, let it be this: Newbery is spelled with one R.

1 comment:

  1. The spelling of "Newbery" is also a pet peeve of mine. What an interesting poll!

    ReplyDelete