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LARC Mocks: 2016 Chapter Books

Working list of starred reviews to be considered for the Mock Caldecott and Newbery Award

Chapter Books

Please alpha by author. If title is already on the list, please add abbreviation and date to it. (PW = Publishers Weekly, SLJ = School Library Journal, HB = Horn Book, Kirkus = K, Booklist = BL The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books = BCCB (feel free to add other journal titles and abbreviations)


Alexander, Kwame  Booked  K 1/15/15, BL 2/1/16, HB 3-4/16

Allen, Crystal  Spirit Week Showdown  K 10/15/15

Anderson, John David. Ms. Bixby's Last Day. PW 4/25/16, BL 4/1/16, K 4/7/16

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Ashes. PW 7/18/16, K 7/15/16

Angleberger, Tom.  Fuzzy  K 6/20/16

Angleberger, Tom. Inspector Flytrap. PW 5/23/16

Applet, Kathi and Alison McGhee. Maybe a Fox. PW 12/14/15, SLJ 1/16

Arnold, Elana K. Far from Fair. PW 1/4/16

Atkins, Jeannine. Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science. BL 5/15/16

Atkins, Jeannine.  Stone Mirrors: The Sculpture and Silence of Edmonia Lewis  K 10/1/16

Auxier, Jonathan  Sophie Quire and The Last Storyguard  K 2/1/16, BL 3/15/16, SLJ 4/16, BCCB 4/16

Avery, Lara.  The Memory Book  K 5/1/16

Avery, Tom. Not As We Know It. PW 5/30/16, SLJ 6/16

Avi. The Most Important Thing: Stories About Sons, Fathers and Grandfathers. PW 2/1/16, K 2/1/16, BL 2/15/16

Baksh, Imam.  Children of the Spider  K 5/15/16

Baldwin, Christopher  Little Dee and The Penguin  K 1/15/16, SLJ 3/16

Bardugo, Leigh. Crooked Kingdom K 8/15/16

Barnhill, Kelly. The Girl Who Drank the Moon.  PW 6/6/16, SLJ 7/16, K 6/1/16, BL 7/16, BCCB 9/16

Baskin, Nora Raleigh. Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story. PW 4/25/16, K 4/7/16

Bauer, Joan  Soar  K 12/1/15

Bauer, Marion Dane  Little Cat's Luck  K 11/1/15

Bayard, Louis.  Lucky Strikes  K 415/16

Beasley, Kate. Gertie's Leap to Greatness. BL 7/16

Beatty, Robert.  Serafina and the Twisted Staff  K 5/15/16

Beckhorn, Susan Williams.  The Wolf's Boy  K 4/15/16, SLJ 5/16, BL 6/1/16

Bellwood, Lucy. Baggywrinkles: A Lubber's Guide to Life at Sea. PW 7/4/16

Blabey, Aaron.  The Bad Guys  K 10/1/16

Blake, Kendare.  Three Dark Crowns  K 7/15/16

Blankman, Anne. Traitor Angels K 3/3/16

Bogart, Jo Ellen. The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem "Panguar Ban" BL 3/1/16

Bond, Gwenda.  Double Down  K 3/17/16

Booth, Molly. Saving Hamlet K 8/15/16

Bosma, Sam. The Bandit of Barbel Bay. BL 6/1/16

Bow, Erin.  The Swan Riders  K 7/15/16

Braxton-Smith, Ananda. Merrow K 8/15/16

Brewer, Zac. The Blood Between Us K 3/3/16

Broach, Elise. The Wolf Keepers. PW 8/1/16

Brown, Gavin  Josh Baxter Levels Up  K 11/15/15

Brown, Jaye Robin.  Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit  K 6/20/16

Brown, Peter. The Wild Robot. PW 1/18/16, K 2/1/16, SLJ 1/16

Brown, Skila. To Stay Alive: Mary Ann Graves and the Tragic Journey of the Donner Party. PW 8/8/16, HB 11-12/16

Brremaud, Frederic  Love: The Tiger  SLJ 2/16

Bruchac, Joseph  Talking Leaves  SLJ 7/16

Budhos, Marina  Watched SLJ 6/16

Burg, Ann E.  Unbound A Novel in Verse  K 7/1/16, SLJ 8/16

Busby, Cylin  The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs  SLJ 1/16

Cameron, Bill.  Property of the State  K 4/7/16

Cameron, Sharon.  The Forgetting  K 7/1/16

Carter, Caela. My Life with the Liars. BL 2/1/16

Cassidey, Sara.  A Boy Named Queen  K 7/15/16

Charlton-Trujillo. e.E.  When We Was Fierce  K 6/20/16

Chee, Traci.  The Reader K 6/20/16

Chilton, Andrew. The Goblin’s Puzzle: Being the Adventures of a Boy with No Name and Two Girls Called Alice. PW 11/2/15

Chima, Cinda Williams. Flamecaster. K 2/15/16

Clanton, Ben. Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea K 8/15/16, BCCB 10/16

Coggin, Linda. The Dog, Ray K 8/15/16

Cohen, Marina  The Inn Between  K 1/1/16

Condie, Ally. Summerlost. PW 12/7/15

Connor, Leslie  All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook  SLJ 12/15

Cooper, Abby.  Sticks and Stones  K 4/15/16

Creech, Sharon Moo  SLJ 7/16, K 6/1/16

Cushman, Karen.  Grayling's Song  K 4/15/16

Davies, Jacqueline  Nothing But Trouble  SLJ 8/16

Davis, Kent.  The Changer's Key  K 7/1/16

DeStefano, Lauren. The Particular Night of the Blue Heart. BL 8/16

Devlin, Calla.  Tell Me Something Real  K 6/20/16

Diaz, Alexandra. The Only Road. BL 9/1/16

DiCamillo, Kate. Raymie Nightingale. PW 1/18/16,  K 1/15/16, BL 2/15/16, SLJ 3/16, HB 3-4/16

DiCamillo, Kate. Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? BL 6/1/16

Dooley, Sarah. Free Verse. BL 1/1/16, SLJ  2/16

Dumas, Firoozeh It Ain't So Awful, Falafel K 3/3/16

Dupuis, Jenny Kay and Kacer, Kathy. I Am Not a Number. BL 9/15/16

Duyvis, Corinne  On The Edge of Gone  K 1/15/16

Eagar, Lindsay. Hour of the Bees. BL 2/1/16; BCCB 3/16

Engle, Margarita  Lion Island: Cuba's Warrior of Words SLJ 6/16

Erdrich, Louise  Makoons  SLJ 3/16, HB 05/06/16

Evans, Sandra. This Is Not a Werewolf Story. BL 6/1/16 

Eve, Laure.  The Graces  K 6/1/16

Faber, Polly. Mango and Bambang: The Not-a-Pig. PW 6/13/16

Fajardo, Alexis E.  The Blood-Bound Oath  K 6/20/16, BCCB 9/16

Fantaskey, Beth. Isabel Feeny, Star Reporter. BL 1/1/16

Farrey, Brian  The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse  SLJ 3/16

Fayers, Clarie.  The Voyage To The Magical North K 6/1/16

Feuti, Norm.  The King of Kazoo  K 4/15/16

Firestone, Carrie.  The Loose Ends List  K 4/15/16

Fitzgerald, Sarah Moore. The Apple Tart of Hope. BL 3/1/16, K 2/15/16

Flood, Nancy Bo. Soldier Sister, Fly Home. PW 5/30/16

Ford, Martyn.  The Imagination Box  K 5/1/16

Fox, Janet. The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle. PW 1/4/16, BL 1/1/16

Foxlee, Karen.  A Most Magical Girl  K 5/15/16, BCCB 9/16

Fraillon, Zana. The Bone Sparrow. PW 10/3/16, BL 10/1/16

Frost, Helen.  Applesauce Weather K 5/15/16, BCCB 9/16

Funaro, Gregory  Alistair Grim's Odd Aquaticum  K 10/1/15

Gaillard, Frye.  Go South To Freedom  K 7/15/16

Garlick, Nick. Storm Horse. BL 12/15/16

Gavin, Rohan.  3 Of A Kind  K 5/15/16

Gayton, Sam. Hercufleas. BL 9/1/16

Gemeinhart, Dan  Some Kind of Courage  K 10/15/15

Gemeinhart, Dan.  Scar Island  K 10/1/16

Gidwitz, Adam.  The Inquisitor's Tale  K 7/15/16, SLJ  8/16, BL 8/16, HB 11-12/16

Gill, Joel Christian. Bessie Stringfield K 8/15/16

Girard, M-E.  Girl Mans Up  K 7/1/16

Gottfred, B.T. The Nerdy and The Dirty K 8/15/16

GrandPre, Mary. Cleonardo, the Little Inventor. BL 6/1/16

Grant, Holly  The Dastardly Deed  K 10/15/15

Gratz, Alan.  Projekt 1065 A Novel of World War II  K 7/15/16

Gray, Lucinda.  The Gilded Cage  K 6/20/16

Green, Sally  Half Lost  K 1/1/16

Griffin, Paul.  When Friendship Followed Me Home K 3/17/16

Grimes, Nikki  Garvey's Choice  SLJ 7/16, PW 8/8/16, K 7/15/16, BL 6/1/16

Gephart, Donna. Lily and Dunkin. BL 2/15/16

Gidwitz, Adam. The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog. PW 7/11/16

Griffin, Paul. When Friendship Followed Me Home. PW 3/28/16

Grove, S. E.  The Crimson Skew  K 4/15/16, BCCB 6/16

Haig, Matt.  A Boy Called Christmas  K 9/1/16

Hardinge, Frances. The Lie Tree. K 2/15/16, HB 05-06/16

Harrell, Rob.  Troll Overboard  K 7/1/16

Harrington, Janice  Catching a Storyfish  SLJ 6/16, K 6/20/16

Harrington, Karen Mayday K 3/3/16

Hartley, A.J.  Steeplejack  K 4/7/16

Hashimi, Nadia  One Half From the East  SLJ 8/16

Hatke, Ben.  Mighty Jack  K 7/15/16, BCCB 9/16

Hicks, Faith Erin. The Nameless City. PW 1/11/16, K 2/15/16

Holm. Jennifer L. Full of Beans. PW 5/16/16, K 6/1/16, BL 5/15/16, HB 7-8/16

Hoole, Elissa Janine. The Memory Jar. K 2/15/16

Hopkinson, Deborah. An Bandit's Tale: The Muddled Misadventrues of a Pickpocket. PW 2/1/16, SLJ 2/16

Hosie, Donna.  The Devil's Banshee  K 7/15/16

Hughes, Dean.  Four-Four-Two  K 9/15/16

Ignatow, Amy.  The Mighty Odds  K 7/1/16

Jimenez, Joe.  Bloodline  K 4/15/16, HB 11-12/16

Johnson, Varian  To Catch a Cheat  K 10/15/15

Jordan, Jesse.  This is Not the End  K 3/17/16

Joseph, Lynne.  Dancing in the Rain  K 8/1/16

Joyce, William. Ollie's Odyssey. BL 3/15/16

Kelly, Erin Entrada. The Land of Forgotten Girls. BL 1/1/16, SLJ 12/15

Kelly, Jacqueline  Skunked!  SLJ 8/16

Kessler, Liz.  Read Me Like a Book  K 3/17/16

Khorana, Aditi.  Mirror in the Sky  K 4/15/16

Kiely, Brendan.  The Last True Love Story  K 7/1/16

Krishnaswami, Uma.  Book Uncle and Me  K 7/15/16

Kuhlmann, Torben.  ARMSTRONG The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon  K 6/20/16, SLJ 8/16

LaFleur, Suzanne. Beautiful Blue World. PW 6/20/16, SLJ 7/16, K 6/1/16

Lagercrantz, Rose.  Life According to Dani  K 7/15/16

Lane, Kathleen. The Best Worst Thing. PW 3/21/16, SLJ 3/16

Larbalestier, Justine.  My Sister Rosa  K 9/1/16

LaReau, Kara. The Infamous Ratsos. PW 8/1/16

Larson, Hope  Compass South SLJ 6/16

Larson, Kirby.  Liberty  K 8/1/16

Lee, Stacey Outrun the Moon K 3/3/16

Legrand, Claire. Foxheart. PW 8/22/16

Legrand, Claire. Some Kind of Happiness. PW 2/29/16, BL 4/15/16

Levy, Dana Alison. The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island. K 2/15/16, SLJ 4/16

Lin, Grace. When the Sea Turned to Silver. PW 8/29/16, SLJ 8/16, K 8/1/16, BL 8/16, HB 11-12/16

Linn, Laurent Draw the Line K 3/3/16

Logan, Kenneth.  True Letters From a Fictional Life  K 4/7/16

Maberry, Jonathan.  Vault of Shadows  K 6/1/16

MacLachlan, Patricia. The Poet's Dog. PW 6/20/16, K 6/1/16

Mafi, Tahereh. Furthermore. PW 5/16/16, K 5/15/16

Magoon, Kekla  Rebellion of Thieves  SLJ 7/16

Malone, Lee Gjertsen The Last Boy at St. Edith's  10/15/15

Morrison, Megan.  Disenchanted The Trials of Cinderella  K 7/15/16

Marsh, Katherine  The Door By the Staircase  K 10/1/15, SLJ 12/15; BCCB 2/16

Martin, Ann M. Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure. PW 6/27/16

Maschari, Jennifer The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price SLJ 1/16

McCall, Guadalupe Garcia.  Shame the Stars  K 7/1/16

McCloskey, Kevin. The Real Poop on Pigeons K 3/316

McDonald, Wren. SP4RX K 10/15/16

McGinnis, Mindy.  The Female of the Species  K 6/20/16

McLemore, Anna-Marie.  When the Moon was Ours  K 8/1/16

McVoy, Terra Elan. This is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker. K 2/15/16

Meadows, Jodi. The Mirror King. K 2/15/16

Medina, Juana. Juana & Lucas  HB 11-12/16

Messner, Kate.  The Seventh Wish  K 4/7/16

Middleton, Dana.  The Infinity Year of Avalon James  K 8/1/16, BL 10/15/16

Milford, Kate.  The Left-Handed Fate  K 6/1/16

Milgrim, David.  Go, Otto, Go!  K 4/7/16

Mills, Claudia.  Cody Harmon, King of Pets  K 4/7/16

Mills, Wendy.  All We Have Left  K 5/15/16

Montgomery, Sy The Great White Shark Scientist  SLJ 6/16

Moore, Lisa. Flannery K 3/3/16

Moranville, Sharelle Byars.  27 Magic Words  K 7/1/16, SLJ 8/16

Morgan, G. A.  The Kinfolk  K 9/15/16

Mosier, Paul.  Train I Ride  K 10/1/16

Mukherjee, Sonya.  Gemini  K 5/1/16

Nannestad, Katrina. When Mischief Came to Town.  PW 10/19/15, K 10/1/15

Neri, G. Tru and Nelle. BL 1/1/16

Nesbet, Anne. Cloud and Wallfish  HB 11-12/16

Nilsson, Ulf  Detective Gordon: A Complicated Case  K 1/15/16, SLJ 3/16

Nix, Garth.  Goldenhand  K 7/15/16

Oh, Ellen.  Flying Lessons and Other Stories  K 10/1/16, BL 9/15/15

Oliver, Lauren. Replica K 8/15/16

Orchard, Eric. Bera the One-Headed Troll  BCCB 10/16

O'Reilly, Jane.  The Secret of Goldenrod  K 8/1/16, BL 11/15/16

Ormsbee, Kathryn.  Lucky Few  K 4/7/16

Patel, Sonia.  Rani Patel in Full Effect  K 7/15/16

Patterson, James & Grabenstein, Chris. Word of Mouse. BL 7/16, K 8/15/16

Peck, Richard. The Best Man. PW 5/30/165, SLJ 7/16, K 6/1/16, HB 7-8/16

Peel, Kit.  Snow Summer  K 7/15/16

Pennypacker, Sara. Pax. PW 11/16/15, K 11/1/15, SLJ 12/15

Pennypacker, Sara  Waylon! One Awesome Thing  SLJ 1/16

Peyton. V. Silo and the Rebel Raiders. BL 11/15/16

Phelan, Matt. Snow White: A Graphic Novel. PW 7/4/16, BCCB 7-8/16, SLJ 8/16, K 8/1/16

Pearson, Luke. Hilda and the Stone Forest. BL 10/15/16

Pilkey, Dav. Dog Man, SLJ 7/16

Pitcher, Annabel  Silence is Goldfish  K 2/1/16

Pon, Cindy. Sacrifice K 8/15/16

Porter, Sarah.  Vassa in the Night  K 7/1/16

Portes, Andrea.  The Fall of Butterflies  K 3/17/16

Potter, Ellen.  The Sea Pony  K 6/1/16

Preller, James. The Courage Test. BL 8/16

Preussler, Otfried  The Robber Hotzenplotz  SLJ 5/16

Pung, Alice.  Lucy and Linh  K 7/15/16

Reed, Jamie.  Keep Me in Mind.  K 3/17/16

Reeve, Philip  Pugs of the Frozen North  K 10/1/15

Reeve, Philip.  Railhead  K 3/17/16

Reid, Kimberly.  Perfect Liars  K 3/17/16

Reynolds, Jason.  As Brave As You  K 4/15/16, HB 7-8/16

Reynolds, Jason.  Ghost  K 8/1/16, BL 9/1/16

Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola.  Two Naomis  K 7/15/16, BL 9/1/16

Ribar, Lindsay.  Rocks Fall Everyone Dies  K 4/15/16

Riddell, Chris. Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse. BL 9/1/16

Roberts, Jeyn.  When They Fade  K 7/15/16

Roe, Robin.  A List of Cages  K 10/1/16

Roerig, Caleb.  Last Seen Leaving  K 8/1/16

Rolli. Kabungo. K 2/15/16

Russo, Meredith.  If I Was Your Girl  K 3/17/16

Ryan, Rob. The Invisible Kingdom. PW 10/19/15

Sands, Kevin.  Mark of the Plague  K 7/15/16

Saunders, Kate. Five Children on the Western Front. PW 5/23/16

Scandiffio, Laura  Fight to Learn: The Struggle to Go to School  SLJ 6/16

Schmidt, Annie  The Cat Who Came In Off the Roof  K 10/1/15

Selzer, Adam.  Just Kill Me  K 6/1/16

Sepahban, Lois  Paper Wishes  K 10/1/15

Shepherd, Megan.  The Secret Horses of Briar Hill  K 7/15/16, BL 8/16

Sherman, Delia. The Evil Wizard Smallbone  BCCB 10/16

Shevah, Emma. Dara Palmer's Major Drama. PW 5/2/16, K 4/15/16, SLJ 5/16

Shusterman, Neal. Hawking's Hallway BCCB 05-06/16

Shusterman, Neal. Scythe K 8/15/16

Skye, Evelyn. The Crown's Game. K 3/3/16

Sloan, Holly Goldberg. Short. BL 10/15/16

Smith, Mark David. Caravaggio Signed in Blood. K 2/15/16

Sonnenblick, Jordan.  Falling Over Sideways  K 6/20/16

Spangler, Brie.  Beast  K 8/1/16

Spotswood, Jessica. Wild Swans.  K 3/3/16

Spratt, R.A. Friday Barnes, Girl Detective. PW 10/26/15

Springstubb, Tricia. Every Single Second. PW 4/11/16, K 4/7/16

Starmer, Aaron.  Spontaneous  K 7/1/16

Starmer, Aaron  The Storyteller  SLJ 2/16

Stevens, Robin  Poison is Not Polite  K 2/1/16, BL 2/15/16

Stewart, Martin.  Riverkeep  K 5/15/16

Stewart, Trenton Lee.  The Secret Keepers  SLJ 7/16, PW 7/18/16

Stroud, Jonathan  The Hollow Boy  SLJ 12/15

Stoud, Jonathan. The Creeping Shadow BL 10/15/16

Sturm, James. Birdsong A Story in Pictures K 3/3/16

Sturm, James.  Ape and Armadillo Take Over the World  K 8/1/16

Talley, Robin.  As I Descended  K 6/20/16

Tan, Shaun.  The Singing Bones  K 7/15/16, BCCB 10/16

Tanner, Lian  Sunker's Deep  SLJ 8/16

Tanquary, Kathry. The Night Parade. PW 10/26/15

Teagan, Erin. The Friendship Experiment K 8/15/16

Teele, Elinor  The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin  K 1/1/16

Telgemeier, Raina  Ghosts  SLJ 6/16, PW 6/6/16, K 7/15/16, BL 6/1/16

Torseter, Oyvind. The Heartless Troll  BCCB 11/16, HB 11-12/16

Tucholke, April  Wind Poppy Midnight  K 1/15/16

Turk, Evan. The Storyteller. BL 6/1/16

Umminger, Alison.  American Girls  K 4/15/16

Urban, Linda. Weekends with Max and His Dad. PW 1/11/16, BCCB 6/16

Varon, Sharon. Sweatweather & Other Short Stories. PW 11/16/15

Vaught, Susan.  Things Too Huge to Fix By Saying Sorry  K 6/20/16, BL 7/16

Vegas, Peter. The Iron Tomb. BL 7/16

Verano, M.  Possesion K 6/20/16

Vernon, Ursula  Hamster Princess: Of Mice and Magic  K 1/1/16, SLJ 1/16

Vickers, Elaine.  Like Magic  K 8/1/16

Vivat, Booki.   Frazzled  K 7/15/16

Viva, Frank. Sea Change. PW 2/8/16

Vollrath, D.E. Silverwood. PW 2/8/16

Weatherford, Carole Boston. You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen. PW 3/7/16

Weeks, Sarah. Save Me a Seat. K 2/15/16

Wegelius, Jakob.  The Murderer's Ape  K 10/1/16

Weing, Drew.  The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo  K 7/15/16

Welford, Ross.  Time Traveling With a Hamster  K 7/15/16, BL 9/1/16

West, Hannah.  Kingdom of Ash and Briars  K 8/1/16

Winick, Judd. HILO Saving the Whole Wide World. K 3/3/16, BCCB 4/16

Whaley, John Corey. Highly Illogical Behavior. K 2/15/16

Wolf, Gita  Knock!Knock!  K 2/1/16

Wolk, Lauren. Wolf Hollow. K 2/15/16, BL 3/15/16, SLJ 4/16, HB 7-8/16

Yelchin, Eugene.  The Haunting Of Falcon House  K 5/1/16, BL 6/1/16

Yoon, Salina  Duck, Duck, Porcupine SLJ 8/16

Yovanoff, Brenna.  Places No One Knows  K 3/17/16

Young, Karen Romano.  Hundred Percent  K 6/20/16, SLJ 8/16

Zemke, Deborah  My Life in Pictures  SLJ 1/16

 

Newbery Criteria

1. In identifying “distinguished contribution to American literature,” defined as text, in a book for children,

a. Committee members need to consider the following:

  • Interpretation of the theme or concept
  • Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization
  • Development of a plot
  • Delineation of characters
  • Delineation of a setting
  • Appropriateness of style.

Note: Because the literary qualities to be considered will vary depending on content, the committee need not expect to find excellence in each of the named elements. The book should, however, have distinguished qualities in all of the elements pertinent to it.

b.Committee members must consider excellence of presentation for a child audience.

2. Each book is to be considered as a contribution to American literature. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the text. Other components of a book, such as illustrations, overall design of the book, etc., may be considered when they make the book less effective.

3. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound or film equipment) for its enjoyment.
 
Note: The committee should keep in mind that the award is for literary quality and quality presentation for children. The award is not for didactic content or popularity.

Adopted by the ALSC Board, January 1978. Revised, Midwinter 1987. Revised, Annual 2008.