Newbery Award Staff Picks

In early December 2011, library staff gathered to debate which book would receive the 2012 Newbery Medal.

The Newbery Medal Winner and Honor Books were announced in January 2012; see how our staff selections stacked up!

Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt.

"Grounded for life" by his feuding parents, plenty of excitement comes Jack’s way once his mom loans him out to help a fiesty old neighbor with a most unusual chore— typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town.

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls.

An unflinching, darkly funny and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother and an unexpected monstrous visitor.

Lai, Thanhha. Inside Out and Back Again.

Based on Lai's personal experience of fleeing Vietnam as a refugee and immigrating to Alabama, this first novel, written in short free-verse poems, captures a child-refugee's struggle.
Yelchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin's Nose.

In the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, 10-year-old Sasha idolizes his father, a devoted Communist, but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his own perceptions, values and beliefs.

Fleming, Candace. Amelia Lost.

This thrilling story of Amelia Earhart, America's most celebrated flyer, includes incredible photos, maps, and handwritten notes from Amelia herself.
Jacobson, Jennifer. Small as an Elephant.

Jack's mom is gone, leaving him all alone on a campsite in Maine. Can he find his way back to Boston before the authorities realize what happened? With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties.
Lai, Thanhha. Inside Out and Back Again.

Based on Lai's personal experience of fleeing Vietnam as a refugee and immigrating to Alabama, this first novel, written in short free-verse poems, captures a child-refugee's struggle.
Schmidt, Gary D. Okay for Now.

When his family moves to Marysville, New York, Doug couldn't be less impressed. The library is the only place to go in town, and it's only open on Saturdays. There, however, he meets his first friend and develops a mission: to replace the missing plates in the library's original John James Audubon book.

revised January 2012