I stopped off at the Middle School Library to see what was doing, and they are voting for their favorite candidates for the Newbery Award. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award is announced in January at the midwinter meeting of the ALA, having been chosen by a committee of librarians who commit to reading every book published in the U.S. during that year. The students are invited to read from a much smaller group of books the librarians think might be in the running, although no one actually knows til the winner is announced. Like every election, it is fun to speculate, and unlike our current political election, the tone of the conversation is thoughtful and reasonable.
