Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

Switch by Ingrid Law, A House Divided by Jennifer A Nielsen , Odds Getting Even by Shiela Turnage.... All award winning authors. Looking for some feedback before ordering. Thanks!

I recommend Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar. But I haven't read those yet.

Denise wrote: "Switch by Ingrid Law, A House Divided by Jennifer A Nielsen , Odds Getting Even by Shiela Turnage.... All award winning authors. Looking for some feedback before ordering. Thanks!"

I would pick A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Ingrid Law and Shiela Turnage books are series books. You might want to read them in order. I was not crazy about Fuzzy Mud at all.

I wasn't crazy for Fuzzy Mud either -- something in nature that can kill and disfigure is the stuff nightmares are made of! I read the possible Newbery contenders and then send them on to my niece who is a Reading Specialist with her public school -- and when I sent Fuzzy Mud, I told her that this was not reading material for her fifth grade daughter. Fuzzy Mud + a little OCD = no sleep.

I read "A House Divided" (it's in the Scholastic Book fair at my elementary school) and it is AWESOME. It's about a girl who's family has been divided by the Berlin Wall and it has great facts about living near the Berlin Wall but the story is so compelling, it's really hard to put down. Highly recommend.

Debbie wrote: "I read "A House Divided" (it's in the Scholastic Book fair at my elementary school) and it is AWESOME. It's about a girl who's family has been divided by the Berlin Wall and it has great facts abo..."

Thanks for this feedback! I'm going to amazon to order it RIGHT NOW!

Is it A Night Divided?

Sorry, I started to post the question before looking it up. It is A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen

Tessyohnka wrote: "Is it A Night Divided?"

I sure believe it is.

Tessyohnka wrote: "I wasn't crazy for Fuzzy Mud either -- something in nature that can kill and disfigure is the stuff nightmares are made of! I read the possible Newbery contenders and then send them on to my niece..."

I am surprised about this title. It seemed to be more of a novella or still a work in progress or I don't know what. I think it is too graphic for most of the children who read Sachar (4th through 7th grades). And the title is misleading. Fuzzy Mud seems kind of cute. I went into the book thinking the "fuzzy Mud" would be pretty harmless. Not deadly. I truly don't think it should have been published. At least not in its current form.

Sorry, it IS "A Night Divided". We had our back to school night with our book fair tonight and we got slammed (in the best possible way! Lots of kids got LOTS Of new books) but I'm a little giddy now!

I didn't really love Fuzzy Mud either. I thought the premise was interesting but it was hard to follow (it switched between storytelling and what appeared to be judicial hearings) and I thought the ending felt like somebody called and said "Ok, wrap it up."

Debbie wrote: "I didn't really love Fuzzy Mud either. I thought the premise was interesting but it was hard to follow (it switched between storytelling and what appeared to be judicial hearings) and I thought th..."

I agree. I didn't find the characters or their actions believable. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying.

I read "A Night Divided" and really liked it. It started a little slow for me, which isn't what I expected from Jennifer Nielsen, but I loved the story, the characters, and especially the Berliners' perspectives when the wall divided their world overnight.

I would say that "A Night Divided" and " The War That Saved My Life" are my two favorites. Guess you could say
I love historical fiction!

I really liked Fuzzy Mud, though the ending was too rushed/rosy. Based on that, I don't think it has a strong chance.

I thought The War That Saved My Life had some definite flaws and wasn't nearly as crazy about it as others seem to be. Why wouldn't the mother have ditched those kids (especially the girl) years earlier, right after her husband died? The girl needed to show progressive signs of adjustment, which she did not. Why would the boy miss home so much when he didn't have enough to eat there?

I loved A Night Divided; in my opinion, it is a strong contender in 2016, at least for an Honor.

Debbie wrote: "I read "A House Divided" (it's in the Scholastic Book fair at my elementary school) and it is AWESOME. It's about a girl who's family has been divided by the Berlin Wall and it has great facts abou..."

I concur. It's a real page turner, and educational to boot.

I agree that Fuzzy Mud was just okay. It definitely will not resonate with my readers (read on Net Galley). A Night Divided needs to be moved to the top of my TBR pile. I need to reread The War...before January. It's on our PL mock list along with Echo, Circus Mirandus, Listen Slowly, and The Thing About Jellyfish.

Librarygarden wrote: "I agree that Fuzzy Mud was just okay. It definitely will not resonate with my readers (read on Net Galley). A Night Divided needs to be moved to the top of my TBR pile. I need to reread The War...b..."

I loved Circus Mirandus - a really strong, well-written debut.

Loved "A Night Divided", and I have lots of students reading it!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the kind people on this board who mentioned the book "A Night Divided." I just devoured that book, and it was phenomenal! I think I like it better than "The War that Saved My Life," and a really liked that one, too, so it's difficult to choose. I think I'm rooting for both of them equally, but the characters and story were better developed in Night Divided, IMO.

I enjoyed "The War That Saved My Life" once I got past the brutality of the mom but I have been a fan of Jennifer Nielsen forever. Her other historical fiction books are found in Young adult and are so well constructed and play with your mind. Another historical fiction author worth looking at is Ruta Sepetys. Her stories are heartfelt and vivid.

Just finished A Night Divided yesterday and loved it. I have read Nielsen's False Prince trilogy and Mark of the thief, but didn't know she wrote historical fiction. This was very powerful. Already passed it on to a student.

Gary D. schmidt's, Orbiting Jupiter was a tough one. I was so absorbed in the story that I didn't pay attention to the book's Newbery worthiness. I read it in the span if a few hours.
Warning, this is a VERY sad story told from the eyes of a 12 year old boy.

Jo wrote: "Gary D. schmidt's, Orbiting Jupiter was a tough one. I was so absorbed in the story that I didn't pay attention to the book's Newbery worthiness. I read it in the span if a few hours.
Warning, thi..."

Like Fuzzy Mud, Orbiting Jupiter seemed like a rush job or an unfleshed outline of an amazing book. I really don't get it since these are master storytellers. Orbiting Jupiter had the makings of a classic masterpiece. It ultimately didn't come together and the ending was unsatisfying to say the least. I gave it a rewrite in my head to get over it. So disappointed in that one.

I loved A Night Divided. This book was only brought to my attention about a month ago. I loved it. I could put it down and felt it was Newbery worthy. I haven't read the other two.

I'm loving A Night Divided. I've actually never read any other Nielsen books, since I'm not much of a fantasy reader. I think what draws me into this story is that I don't know of any other children's books written on this topic and I'm learning from it as well. I think it will be perfect for those students that love historical fiction.

I received an email from School Library Journal Partner raving about Kenneth Oppel's new book, The Nest. Has anyone read this? I don't remembering it bring mentioned.

Jo wrote: "I received an email from School Library Journal Partner raving about Kenneth Oppel's new book, The Nest. Has anyone read this? I don't remembering it bring mentioned."

The Nest is an unusual, exciting read. I loved it. Oppel is a Canadian writer. Can't win a Newbery.

Ok, thanks for that information. I didn't realize he was in Canada.

Jo wrote: "Ok, thanks for that information. I didn't realize he was in Canada."

You are welcome. It is a super fun book.

Jo wrote: "I received an email from School Library Journal Partner raving about Kenneth Oppel's new book, The Nest. Has anyone read this? I don't remembering it bring mentioned."

Jo, I just read it! It reads quickly and just sucked me into Steve's precarious world....creepy!

I handed an ARC of the Nest to my 5th grade son and told him to read it and give me a review if I should buy it for my library. When he finished he just said, "I don't even know what to say, you need to read it yourself." I read it and know what he means. It is weird. It's good, but man it's creepy and weird. I don't even know if it is a children's book. It's written well, the story is captivating, but I'm left feeling uncomfortable. Very strange.

Cara wrote: "I handed an ARC of the Nest to my 5th grade son and told him to read it and give me a review if I should buy it for my library. When he finished he just said, "I don't even know what to say, you ne..."

It is unique for sure. I would have loved for Nest to have been longer and written for a young adult audience. Some parents might find it too odd/scary for their child. I would have devoured it as a kid. however.

If you already have the first books before Switch and the Odds of Getting Even, I would definitely order these. A House Divided stands alone as a unique period historical fiction written very well.