Jim Takes a Look at the Newbery Award

Before joining Warwick's I was an administrator at La Jolla Country Day and The Gillispie School. During that time, one of my favorite discoveries was the list of Newbery Award winners for best writing of children’s books. I have read many of those titles and most often they were a really good stories. Award-winners cover a range of styles and tales. The American Library Association’s gold imprint is placed on the top books, and silver for the honor books.

The 2012 medal winner is Jack Gantos’ Dead End In Norvelt, a semi-autobiographical tale of a boy’s extraordinary summer. Sometimes crazy and funny, but other times there are bits of history, all written to appeal to young readers.

Some of my many Newbery favorites include The Graveyard Book by Neal Gaiman, Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and Louis Sachar’s Holes. We carry these and many more in the children’s section. A list of winners since 1922 is at http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.

Readers who enjoy different genres, dipping into some of these titles can be entertaining.

Jim is a bookseller at Warwick's