The second round of official nominations is due today… I finalized the write-ups and emailed the file to our chair at 6:00 p.m. Two titles are due from each of us. This time around, I had something that I didn’t have in October: a fairly strong sense of the leanings of the Committee as a whole. I re-read the nomination paragraphs from my fellow committee members, especially those titles that I am in favor of. Some books already received multiple supports and I feel quite comfortable to not worry about re-nominating those. But one of them, I have grown to like so much more because of the experiences I’ve had with the readers’ reactions in my community, because of re-reading passages, because of my fellow committee members’ reasonings, and because of some online thoughtful conversations. I see more clearly now the merits of this book and understand some of my original reservations as being not on solid ground. So, I nominated this to add my support and justifications.
Then, there is the second title. I can imagine someone’s mouth drops, another one’s eyes widen, and someone else’s head shakes: If they ever find out what this second title is. (Ah, indeed, fourteen other people in the world will find out tomorrow when we all receive the compilation of nominations!!!) Is this a good move? Is this a waste of my nomination? I don’t think so because I do so so love this book, and I do so so want at least to have a chance to talk about it with my fellow committee members. It deserves a place on the table — even though it might not fit the conventional Newbery Winner Profile. Who knows… there could always be a surprise!
This has been fun. One more set to go in December and we will go into re-reading, re-thinking, and strategizing mode!
Fairrosa Cyber Library 
I’ve really enjoyed reading these cryptic blog posts this fall…It is so fun to attach a few plausible titles to each book # to see if your thoughts match up with my guesses. When you say about your recent nomination that you have”grown to like so much more because of the experiences I’ve had with the readers’ reactions in my community” I cringe thinking it might be a certain much lauded but never the less divisive piece of “guidance counselor fiction”. How does your community’s readers’ reactions to a book jibe with what you said a few posts back about what the Newbery Award isn’t (“The Newbery Award is not for the book with the most significant theme.The Newbery Award is not for the most teachable book.The Newbery Award is not for the book most likely to change a young reader’s life.”)?
On your second title, I have an eye widened, optimistic guess on this as well….
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Eric, perhaps I could make my point slightly less cryptic: my mind has been changed because many young readers have been proving my original assessments erroneous — they are enthusiastic, and cannot appreciate this book more! I THINK I might know which book you are referring to in your own cryptic description (and I kind of disagree with you that that book is only valuable to well intentioned grownups.) And I cannot tell you whether my nomination coincides with your guesses… Now, what do you think my second nomination IS? I await more of your cryptic responses.
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