Mock Newbery Workshop

Exploring the Newbery Criteria

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“The Medal shall be awarded annually to the artist of the

most distinguished contribution to American

literature…”

1953 Newbery

Medal

1953 Newbery

Honor

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“…restricted to authors who are citizens or residents of

the United States.” 

2009 Newbery

Medal

1999 Not Eligible

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“…consider only the books eligible for the award”

2009 Newbery Honor

2006 Newbery Honor

2008 Newbery Honor

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“…the committee shall consider all forms of writing – fiction,

non-fiction, and poetry.”

1988 Newbery Medal

2006 Newbery Medal

1989 Newbery Medal

2008 Newbery Medal

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“Children are defined as persons of ages up to and

including fourteen and books for this entire age

range are to be considered.”

1973 Newbery

Honor

2003 Newbery

Medal

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“Committee members need to consider

the following: – Interpretation of the theme or concept– Presentation of information including accuracy,

clarity, and organization– Development of a plot– Delineation of characters– Delineation of a setting– Appropriateness of style.”

2005 Newbery

Medal

Interpretation of the Theme or Concept

“My sister had taught me to look at the world that way, as a place that glitters, as a place where the calls of the crickets and the crows are everyday occurrences that also happen to be magic.”

2004 Newbery

Honor

Presentation of Information“No one knew that a killer was already moving through their streets with them, an invisible stalker that would go house to house until it had touched everyone, rich or poor, in some terrible way.”

1994 Newbery

Medal

Development of a Plot

The next morning, for the first time, Jonas did not take his pill. Something within him, something that had grown there through the memories, told him to throw the pill away.

1997 Newbery

Honor

Delineation of Characters

“‘And what do you suggest, O oracle of the gutter?’”

‘I suggest that you should have brought food for five people with this miserable traveling circus of yours…How do you propose to get food?’

But the magus had had a moment to think and had arrived at the obvious solution. ‘You,’ he said, ‘are going to steal it.’

I threw up my hands.”

1998 Newbery

Medal

Delineation of a Setting

I hear the first drops.Like the tapping of a strangerat the door of a dream,the rain changes everything.It strokes the roof,streaking the dusty tin,ponging,a concert of rain notes,spilling from gutters,gushing through gullies,soaking into the thirsty earth outside

1999 Newbery

Medal

Appropriateness of Style

“The reader is probably asking: Why would anyone go to Camp Green Lake?

Most campers weren’t given a choice. Camp Green Lake is a camp for bad boys.

If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy.

That was what some people thought.

Stanley Yelnats was given a choice. The judge said, ‘You may go to jail, or you may go to Camp Green Lake.’

Stanley was from a poor family. He had never been to camp before.”

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“Because the literary qualities to be considered will vary depending on content, the committee need not expect to find excellence in each of the named elements. The book should, however, have distinguished qualities in all of the elements pertinent to it.”

Theme: A

Information: ??

Plot: A

Characters: A

Setting: A

Style: A

Theme: A

Information: A

Plot: ??

Characters: A

Setting: ??

Style: A

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“The committee is to make its decision primarily on the text. Other components of a book, such as illustrations, overall design of the book, etc., may be considered when they make the book less effective.”  

1982 Newbery

Medal

2004 Newbery

Medal

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“…the award is for literary quality and quality presentation for children.

The award is not for didactic content…”

2001 Newbery

Honor

2001 Newbery

Honor

Newbery Terms and Criteria

“…The award is not for…popularity.”

2008 Newbery Medal

2008 Newbery Honor

13% of copieschecked out

86% of copies checked out

No Newbery Recognition

100% of copies checked out

Newbery Terms and Criteria

Six basic elements• Theme or Concept

• Presentation of Information

• Plot

• Characters

• Setting

• Style

Newbery Terms and Criteria

Another way to look at the elements:• What’s the book like?

– Information + Plot + Characters + Setting +

• What does it make us think about?– Theme or Concept

• How does the author do that?– Style

• If all of these come together excellently… – The book just might be a “Distinguished

contribution to American literature for children.”