Feel like reading something you can really sink your teeth into? Not in the mood for a fluff read? Why not pick up a Newbery award winning book? Since 1922 the American Library Association has chosen a yearly winner for this very prestigious (that means really, really important and impressive) award. Think of it as sort of the Oscars of children’s chapter books. It’s one of the most coveted prizes in the whole world of children’s books (at least in America). You’ll know which books have won a Newbery by looking for the official sticker on the front cover. My goal is to finish reading all 88 books by the end of the year. I’ve only got 27 more to go! Let’s see…hang on, let me just get my calculator out. Here we go! 5.4 books a month! That’s about a book and a half a week! Wow! I’d better get busy! In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites. If you haven’t read them, check them out! If you have read them, read them again! I love reading a book twice, I always find something in it I missed the first time!

Ten-year-old aspiring scientist Lucky Trimble has a lot going on in her life right now, not the least of which is her fear that her legal guardian will decide not to keep her after all. Desperate for some stability in her otherwise crazy life, she starts searching for her “higher power.”

Fifteen-year-old Mary Alice is sent to the country to live with her grandmother, a woman known for her feisty and bold personality, sharp, but truthful, tongue and tough exterior. A funny, heartwarming book.

Scrawny, undernourished and unwanted, Beetle wanders the streets of Medieval England looking for her next meal when she is taken in by a mysterious, sharp-tempered midwife. Although life is still difficult for young Beetle, she does manage to find the three things she needs most: food for her belly, peace in her heart and a reason for her existence.

Twelve- year-old Jonah is just like every other child in his town, unquestioning of the perfection of his home. At the much anticipated Ceremony of Twelve, however, Jonas is given his lifetime assignment, Keeper of Memories, and soon realizes a dangerous truth about his community.

These are just a few of my favorite Newbery award winners. You can see a complete list here: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm

Happy reading!