Newbery/Caldecott 2018: The Summer Prediction Edition

Did Betsy drop the ball in her last Spring Newbery/Caldecott Prediction post?

Yes, Betsy did drop the ball in her last Spring Newbery/Caldecott Prediction post.

Will Betsy do better with her Summer Newbery/Caldecott Prediction post?

Yes, Betsy will do better with her Summer Newbery/Caldecott Prediction Post.

Back in the spring I ran into a bit of a puzzler.  Normally by March, I will have read at least 3-4 potential Newbery and Caldecott winners apiece.  But this year, 2017, for the first time I ran into a bit of a brick wall.  I hadn’t read a single serious Newbery contender.  I’d read plenty of perfectly fine books, but nothing I could put my weight behind for the big-time Award.  Now we find ourselves in June so surely I’ve read loads of Newbery potential titles by now, right?  Right?

Er . . . sorta?

Okay, I’ll tell you what I’ve read. I’ve read other people recommending books that THEY think have a chance.  Reliable people. Trustworthy people.  People whose opinions I value.  And this is a good thing because on my part I’ve read one single solitary Newbery contender for 2017.  So for the first time ever I’m bucking tradition and I’m including the Newbery contenders that other folks are promoting.  But first, the much easier category:

2018 Caldecott Predictions

The Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater, ill. The Fan Brothers

How can you tell when a publisher believes that they have an award winner on their hands?  There are lots of “tells” but none so obvious as the way in which they treat the original F&G.  When I received The Antlered Ship in the mail the other day I was instantly drawn to it.  Partly because the art is instantly luscious and lovely, sure.  But Beach Lane Books went the extra mile and made sure that the F&G feels good.  You pick it up and you instantly start stroking the cover.  It’s pleasing on a tactile level, which is extraordinarily smart.  After all, this book isn’t out until September so the easiest way to lure in potential award committee members is to make it memorable to multiple senses.  Here are some interior spreads to give you a sense of its loveliness:

And my personal favorite . . .

Can you tell that I like it more than The Night Gardener?

But wait a minute, sez you.  The Fan Brothers . . . aren’t they Canadian?  They live in Canada.  Well, yep.  But according to my fellows in the business, the whole reason their last book The Night Gardener was able to appear in so many Mock Caldecott lists was that they were born in the States.  Therefore, they are eligible.  *shrugs*  Fine with me.

How to Be an Elephant: Growing Up in the African Wild by Katherine Roy

2017 is, as I may have mentioned before, an extraordinarily strong nonfiction year.  With that in mind, it wouldn’t surprise me if more nonfiction books than usual won some major awards not specifically designated for information texts this year.  Katherine Roy is probably best known at this point for her jaw-dropping Neighborhood Sharks from a couple years ago.  Having studied under David Macaulay, Roy elevates nonfiction illustration to a whole other level.  In this book she takes a topic that you could easily believe has been done to death, then uses illustration to a remarkable degree to illustrate points about elephants that I am confident in saying you have NEVER heard before.  Sharks didn’t get the level of adoration I would have liked.  Maybe this book will make up for that.

Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin

I’m still mulling this one over.  Graegin may be known to you for her work on books like Water in the Park by Emily Jenkins.  In this wordless title we follow two perspectives and a theft.  There’s a subtle sophistication to what the author/illustrator is doing on these pages.  I feel like artists that work in the realm of “cute” live in danger of being put in a corner and ignored.  Cute is a completely fine method of illustration for kids and does not mean that the creator did not work their butt off getting everything just right.  Graegin’s strength here is molding the tone to the individual scenes, honing both the child reader’s sympathies and outrage by turns.  I need to think about it a little more, but it’s a contender.

Mighty Moby by Barbara Dacosta, ill. Ed Young

To what degree do you root for someone who has won the Caldecott Award before?  I think this often whenever David Wiesner makes another particularly good book.  And I’ve vaguely thought about it with other Ed Young titles, but I think that this book, even more than the lovely Tsunami (which got far too little attention), is his greatest award contender in years.  And for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, rest assured that it isn’t just a picture book adaptation of Moby Dick but a clever title with a true child-perspective.

Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters by Michael Mahin, ill. Evan Turk

Sometimes Travis Jonker over at 100 Scope Notes will produce a graph that shows the months that award winners are most often published.  This year, I’m noticing that a lot of September release books are really gorgeous.  I’m the one who beats the drum for Evan Turk every single year that he produces a book, but this year, THIS YEAR, I think he’s got a real shot. Some interior art for your consideration:

You see where I’m coming from.

A Perfect Day by Lane Smith

I always drop a couple titles between one prediction post and the next, but I’m sticking by this Smith book.  Even the cover is notable.  Look at the texture on that paint on the bear’s face.  Ist not gorgeous?

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

Still the #1 contender in my book.  Nuff said.

2018 Newbery Predictions

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

Review forthcoming, but I will say that this blew me away.  Now I was a big fan of Wolf Hollow when it came out, but I did wonder if it was a one-off fluke.  Nope.  Apparently the woman can write.  After reading  a run of nice middle grade books that didn’t quite grab me, the descriptive language of Wolk’s latest comes across as completely enthralling.  It also came as an odd relief because this is the only book I’ve read this year that had that effect on me.  So for some comparison, let’s see what other folks have been predicting for this year.

One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes  

A great librarian friend of mine proposed this one, and I like the idea.  No one’s going to contest that Grimes is a remarkable poet and writer.  There are two potential issues with a Newbery win. One is the age level and whether or not the book is too old.  Since the Newbery can go to the age of 14, I think it’s okay.  The other is that the book isn’t wholly new.  Grimes is combining her words with those of famous poets.  It’s a mash-up book, and it will be entirely up to the Newbery committee to determine if mash-up culture has a place in the pantheon of Newbery winners.  If ever, the time is now.

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder

Okay, so I’ve been hearing about the Newbery potential of Ms. Snyder’s latest from multiple folks.  One was Cristin Stickles of McNally Jackson and the other was author Jonathan Auxier.  Jonathan didn’t use the “Newbery” word but he did say the book was his favorite of the year so I’m going to take that as a recommendation.  And up it goes on my To Be Read shelf. Extra Bonus: It’s out now so you can actually read it (unlike those September books I keep recommending).

Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin

The last two books on today’s list mark a significant trend.  We know that the occasional nonfiction book will appear as a Newbery or Caldecott winner on occasion.  What if the fact that 2017 is such a strong nonfiction year means that we’ll see a lot more nonfiction titles on the final award lists?  If that was the case then I think Mr. Sheinkin would be a true possibility.  I’ve read the criticisms and it stand up to them overall.

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman

The true contender.  Maybe even my Newbery frontrunner.  Though marketed as YA I think it could easily be considered for the 14-year-old set and is therefore viable.  Buried under the weight of a million starred reviews, this is quite possibly Deborah’s magnum opus.  Even more so than Charles and Emma (and that’s saying something). Read Julie Danielson’s interview with Deborah over at Kirkus if you get a chance.  It will make you a convert.

Filed under: Best Books, Best Books of 2017