And the ACPL Mock Newbery winner is...

This afternoon, after a vigorous (and fun!) discussion about a wide variety of children’s books published in 2012, an ACPL Mock Newbery winner for 2013 was selected. Three Honor books were also selected.

The 2013 ACPL Mock Newbery winner is: 

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
New York, NY : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2012. (unpaged)

Summary:  Each kindness makes the world a little better Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Maya is different–she wears hand-me-downs and plays with old-fashioned toys. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her gang, they reject her. Eventually, Maya plays alone, and then stops coming to school altogether. When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she’d shown a little kindness toward Maya. This unforgettable book is written and illustrated by the award-winning team that created The Other Side and the Caldecott Honor winner Coming On Home Soon . With its powerful message and striking art, it will resonate with readers long after they’ve put it down.

Three Mock Newbery Honor books were also selected:

Bomb: The Race to Build – and Steal – the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2012. (266 pages)

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
New York : Harper, 2012.  (305 pages)

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.  (315 pages)

It was a great afternoon of discussion! We can’t wait to hear what you think of our selections!

This year’s official announcement of the 2013 NewberyAward winner happens on Monday, January 28th at 11:00 EST.  We’ll be sure to let you know how our predictions stack up against the official committee vote.