July 15, 2011

My Life in Newbery

This weekend I turn 38. I thought I was turning 39, so I am very relieved to have gained 1 year and not gotten closer to the big 4-0! Here is a list of books that won the Newbery Award throughout my lifetime. Have you read any of these? Do you see any that you might want to add to your to be read pile? What book won the Newbery the year YOU were born?

I was born in 1973:
Newbery Medal Winner: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

I started kindergarten in 1978, and my favorite book of all time, my "desert island book" won the Newbery!
Nebery Medal Winner: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson 

The year I turned 10 was 1983. the winner this year makes me cry every time I see a mulbery tree.
1983 Medal Winner: Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

My freshman year in high school (go West High Trojans!) was 1988. The winner this year was a biography, I have it in The Lemme Library, but I haven't read it.
1988 Medal Winner: Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Clarion) 
The 1988 honor that year was Hatchet by Gary Paulsen... the first survival story I ever read. 

I graduated from high school in 1991. A classic, much loved book won the Newbery that year!
The 1991 Medal Winner: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

I graduated from The University of Iowa with a BA in elementary education in 1996.  My 2nd favorite book was the winner this year!
The 1996 Newbery Medal Winner: The Giver by Lois Lowry 

My first daughter, Kiley was born in 2003. I must admit, I haven't read this book... yet! Don't judge me!
The 2003 Newbery Medal Winner: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

My 2nd daughter, Leah was born in 2008. I didn't read this book either! What does that say about new moms?  Too busy to read good books (too busy to read bad books too!)
The 2008 Newbery Medal Winner: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz 

This year, the year I turn 28 38, the winner was Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. I have this book on my to be read pile, but my bitterness has prevented me from reading it... although I've heard it's a lovely book. This is also the year I invented The Bizzaro Newbery!  

6 comments:

  1. The only two I haven't read are Dicey's Song and Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! And we have 1973 in common. :)

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  2. I'm on a personal mission to read all the Newbery winners and honor books but have only read one of the books in your post. Got a long way to go...

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  3. What a neat way to celebrate a birthday. May I borrow the idea? (giving credit of course).

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  4. Congrats on gaining a year. That is awesome. What bitterness do you have towards Moon over Manifest. It is in my TBR pile, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

    How in the world did that Lincoln photobiography beat Hatchet. Shame.

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  5. @colby
    I guess my bitterness comes from the fact that it came from nowhere- it wasn't on my radar... so, I guess I hold it against the book and not me. A fellow librarian put it off too- but once she read it she told me to get over it and read it immediately!

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  6. @pageintraining
    Yes, yes, please do it! I'd love to see your life in Newbery... Caldecott would be good too, I should have done that!

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