As the fall weather starts changing (yes, we do have seasons here in California!), some "best of the year" lists are starting to show up in my feed. I always have fun seeing what books other folks highlight as their favorites. We've got the longest for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and different Mock Newbery lists. Want to get in on the fun yourself? Nominations for the CYBILS Awards start on October 1st.
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| image credit: SLJ |
Longlist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature
The National Book Foundation has announced the 2021 longlist for its Young People’s Literature award. Five finalists will be named on October 5th, and the winner will be announced during the awards ceremony on November 17th. I love the diverse range of books included in this year's longlist. I'm particularly excited to see The Legend of Auntie Po. You can read reviews of the nominated books in School Library Journal or in Kirkus.
Mock Newbery lists: a quick roundup
The Newbery Award creates excitement every year, and bookclubs throughout the US sponsor Mock Newbery groups. I have fun seeing what different groups nominate as their picks for the best of the year. Check out Berkeley schools Mock Newbery, SLJ's Heavy Medal blog (here are their early favorites), and Anderson's Bookshops Mock Newbery list. Remember that to be eligible for the Newbery, a book must have been published in the US during the 2021 calendar year, and must have been written by an American author.
As you know, I'm always seeking out new book recommendations. Rich in Color gives great recs -- I'm looking forward to checking out these four new Latinx books they are loving this year. Blogs like this help me keep my eye on what other readers, writers, teachers and librarians are suggesting, and give a balance to more traditional reviews from SLJ and Kirkus. I'm especially looking forward to reading Fat Chance Charlie Vega ("a sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme") and Fire with Fire (with two sisters who "will do whatever it takes to save the other... (but) are playing with magic that is more dangerous than they know").
How movement and gestures improve read alouds
Although reading may seem like a brain-centered activity, I've found it so helpful to encourage children to respond with movement and gestures when I'm reading aloud to them. This article in KQED's Mind/Shift clearly explains the importance of specifically asking learners to engage with physical movements during thinking and learning time. "Physical activity improves students' focus, retention, memory consolidation, creativity and mood." This includes movement breaks, but it also includes purposeful movement during learning time. When you're reading aloud to children, try asking them to incorporate specific gestures as they hear or think about certain things: use the ASL sign for empathy when they are connecting to how a character feels, use the ASL sign for movie if they're getting a movie in their head. or use the ASL sign for ask if they are thinking of a question they'd like to ask.
What's in your feed these days? Drop me a note, and let me know if you find any of these articles interesting.
©2021 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books
