SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

March 30, 2022 by Betsy Bird

Newbery/Caldecott 2023: Spring Prediction Edition!

March 30, 2022 by Betsy Bird   3 comments

2023. Wow. I dunno, but that year looks more futuristic to me when it’s written down.

But yes! The time has come again. Every year I create four different Newbery/Caldecott posts, one for each season, to try and predict where the Newbery and Caldecott Awards might go the following spring. My track record is . . . well, it does tend to be a little spotty. But please bear in mind that when the Spring Prediction Edition comes out, I haven’t seen the bulk of the fall releases. As such, here’s how I tend to do:

2008 spring predictions: I get one Caldecott right (How I Learned Geography)

2009 spring predictions: I get two Newberys right (The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate and The (Mostly) True Adventures of Homer P Figg)

2010 spring predictions: I get one Newbery right (One Crazy Summer)

2011 spring predictions: I get one Newbery right (Inside Out and Back Again)

2012 spring predictions: I get two Newberys right (The One and Only Ivan and Splendors and Glooms), and one Caldecott right (Green).

2013 spring predictions: I get two Newberys right (Doll Bones and One Came Home) and one Caldecott right (Mr. Wuffles).  But pride goeth before the fall.

2014 spring predictions: Zip. Zero. Zilch.

2015 spring predictions: I get two Newberys right (Echo and The War That Saved My Life)

2016 spring predictions: Zero correct, though the commenters do mention two books that would go on to win.

2017 spring predictions: I got one Caldecott right, and that just happened to be the ultimate winner (Wolf In the Snow).

2018 spring predictions: I got one Newbery right (The Book of Boy).

2019 spring predictions: I got two Caldecotts right (Going Down Home With Daddy and Undefeated) and one Newbery right (The New Kid by Jerry Craft).

2020 spring predictions: I got one Caldecott right (Outside In by Deborah Underwood, ill. Cindy Derby) and one Newbery right (Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley).

2021 spring predictions: I got two Caldecotts right (Unspeakable and Watercress) and one Newbery right (Too Bright to See).

Not too shabby, right? Got a little spotty in 2014 and 2016 but besides those years I at least get one right.

Unfortunately, I might be shooting myself in the foot this year. In the past I would pretty much post any old prediction that was out there. This year, I’m really limiting the number of books I’m going to mention as contenders. This is as much a tacit acknowledgement that I’ve read less than I should have, more than anything else. Still, of what I have read, I really and truly believe that each and every last one of these books has a more than decent chance at the gold. They are:

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

2023 Caldecott Predictions

Blue by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, ill. Daniel Minter

Of all the titles I list here today, this is the one that I’d say was the clearest slam-dunk of them all. We have all the right elements in place. First and foremost, Daniel Minter already has a Caldecott Honor to his name, all thanks to Going Down Home to Daddy. Then you have the writing of Nana Ekua-Hammond which parses so perfectly the history of the color blue. It’s a nonfiction picture book title, and we never see enough of those winning Caldecotts, so I’d be particularly pleased if this grabbed the gold this year. I really and truly would.

Kick Push by Frank Morrison

A lot of children’s librarians carry with them a mental list of artists that have never won Caldecotts and seem mighty due. Frank Morrison certainly ranks in this respect. It isn’t that he doesn’t win awards. Heck, the first time I ever saw his work it was because he won a John Steptoe. But Caldecotts have, by and large, eluded him until now. Perhaps this is because his style, when he really leans into it, is what one might call “stylized”. Not every librarian on a committee digs that. What makes Kick Push different is that because Morrison’s writing the words alongside his pictures, the two meld together better than in many of his other books. And he’s a really good writer too! Movement, energy, action, it’s all here. Maybe the Caldecott committee will recognize that fact at long last.

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

What we have here is a classic Newbery contender, and that’s a fact. A book that has the distinct feel of a old-fashioned readaloud. Denise delves into classic illustration tropes in this tale of a tiny owl that yearns to become a knight. The art in this book does marvelous things with light, and there’s more than one homage to famous artists of the past hidden in these pages. This is, in a sense, the Mel Fell of 2022. You get what i mean.

Where Butterflies Fill the Sky by Zahra Marwan

Hey, I’m just as surprised as you about my including this book here. But the more I read it, the more I look at it, and the more I consider its art, the more convinced I become that this book has something going on inside that I just have never seen before. It’s that melding of Kuwait and New Mexico in the art. It’s the writing and the story. It’s the fact that the tone, which is notoriously hard to capture on a page, is so keen. Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree, but I seriously think that this book has a shot. A very good one too.

2023 Newbery Predictions

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

I’m not dead to the irony that should this book win a Newbery, we’ll have had a Last Cuentista win on 2022 and a Last Mapmaker win in 2023. I am totally okay with that plan. Now Ms. Soontornvat is, herself, a multi-award winning author. She’s even won multiple Newbery Honors before for books like A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen. This book, though, is a feat of personal editing. It’s as if she said to herself, “I wonder if I can create a richly imagined high fantasy world with as few superfluous words as possible.” The action here is tight! The descriptions perfectly placed. The care and speed and meticulousness of the enterprise just leaves you reeling. My top Newbery pick, bar none.

Marshmallow Clouds by Ted Kooser & Connie Wanek, ill. Richard Jones

Poetry, eh? Do I seriously think it has a shot? I do. This cover? It’s misleading. Inside this book you’ll find poems that stick inside your brain, no matter how resistant you might be to the form. Kooser and Wanek are clearly engaged in some kind of sorcery since you can never figure out where one poet started and the other stopped. It’s introspective, to say the least, and incredibly lovely. Probably the most impressive book of children’s poetry in years and definitely worth a serious conversation.

And that’s it! That’s all she wrote! Be sure to tell me precisely which titles I’ve forgotten and why you think they have what it takes to make it all the way to the top. To Newbery/Caldecott gold and beyond!

Filed under: Newbery / Caldecott Predictions

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Caldecott 2023 contendersNewbery 2023 contendersNewbery/Caldecott predictions

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2023

Final Prediction Edition: Newbery / Caldecott 2023

by Betsy Bird

January 2023

Fuse 8 n' Kate: 2023 Caldecott Contenders

by Betsy Bird

September 2022

Newbery/Caldecott 2023: Fall Prediction Edition

by Betsy Bird

January 2022

Newbery/Caldecott 2022: Final Prediction Edition

by Betsy Bird

January 2022

Fuse 8 n' Kate: 2022 Caldecott Contenders

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Surprise! Announcing CABOOSE

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Kiss Number 8 | Review

by Johanna

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

WRITING FOR YOURSELF FIRST, a guest post by author M. K. Lobb

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

SLJ and Penguin Random House Create Poster Supporting the Freedom to Read

An Exclusive Excerpt & Interview: 'Odder' by Katherine Applegate

Introducing "Learn About": Read. Look. Discover.

SPONSORED

The Human Rainbow | Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Antiracism

Cover Reveal & Interview: 'Grounded' by Aisha Saeed, S.K. Ali, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, & Huda Al-Marashi

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy Weymouth says

    March 31, 2022 at 12:10 am

    Thank you so much for your selections. For years, I have trusted your book evaluations. IMO it is a disrespect to your skills to compare your track record in agreeing with the selections of each “haloed” committee. I hope you do this simply as a humble and honest discloser to those who have yet to appreciate your unbelievable talent.

    Both your choices AND choices made by the Committees lead me to find endless needles in haystacks all the time. YOU GO GIRL!!! Too many books to ever read in a lifetime and YOU MAKE INEVITABLE NEED TO CHOOSE SO MUCH EASIERI I don’t take enough time to express my appreciation. You enhance my experience of Children’s Literature more than any other blogger or website. I hope to die before you stop giving so much to the community.

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      March 31, 2022 at 9:53 am

      Well, that is exceedingly kind of you to say. I like posting the track records to show just how impossible it is to make consistently accurate predictions. That said, I suspect that if I compared my spring predictions to my final predictions, spring probably comes out a lot better in the end. Go figure!

  2. Thomas Bell says

    April 17, 2022 at 7:08 pm

    The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill is a real contender. A little too much fantasy for me at times, but it works very well. Love way the author makes it third person from an ‘almost’ silent observer. And even though the book has one of the most truly evil villians I have ever read, it is still appropriate for kids of all ages. If you haven’t read it yet, pick it up and see whether you agree!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023