Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai This adventure is already turning heads as a Newbery contender. What did you think of it?

My copy is due to arrive tomorrow, and I can’t wait!

The horrors of war are experienced by characters in ESCAPE FROM ALEPPO. In addition to the displacement of people, the devastation to communities and artistic treasure are described. Flashbacks are used to provide additional historical context. Questions about which groups are at fault are explored. Sadly, the story provides little hope for the future of Aleppo or Nadia and her family.

This is a relevant book. The author does a great job mixing the narrative with historical facts to help understand where all of this came from. As far as a Newbery contender, i don’t see it winning. The characters were great but not as great as The Journey of Little Charley.

Just finished! I appreciated that the author was able to depict the nightmare of a city under siege in a powerful but not overwhelming way for 9-11 year old recommended age. I also am grateful for a strong female protagonist; flawed, fearful, kind and brave. There were 3 topics covered which I found very significant. First was the inclusion of the history of European and U.S. colonization in the region which are in part, if not completely responsible for the current strife in Syria and the region as a whole. Next I appreciated the depiction of Islam as a spiritual tradition that values peace, good works and ethical living and has little or nothing to do with ISIS and other such organizations. Lastly I think it is valuable to consider how the irreplaceable treasures of antiquity are systematically either destroyed or stolen and sold so I'm glad that was included. I found it a compelling read. Whether it's Newbery worthy I don't know as I'm new to collecting in youth lit. but I do think its a stand out and wish I could get more kids to check it out!

I read about 12% of the book. Here are my unflattering comments: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I felt like this was one of those "green vegetable" books that are good for kids but hard to make them eat. I'm going to hold out for more of a casserole that will make the veggies palatable.

This was one of those books that was not bad, but not really good enough, either. Kind of like Moon Over Manifest.

As an adult, I found this book providing a glimpse of what Syrians had to endure while trying to escape, especially losing track of lost ones and entrusting others to help you reach the Turkish border. However, with the deep history and culture included in this book, I don't think any of my 5th graders will find interest in this book. Therefore, this being a children's book and not geared to interest of the children, I don't find it Newbery worthy.

I enjoyed the story and I think certain young readers would, too. The historical background info seemed awkwardly inserted to me, but I don't know that young readers would notice. My chief complaint is that the main character doesn't develop throughout the story. It shifts from being a story about Nadia to a story about Ammo Mazen as seen through Nadia's eyes. That writing flaw makes it not Newbery worthy in my mind.

Overall, I liked “Escape from Aleppo” by N. H. Senzai. However, at the beginning, the pacing felt kind of slow. Also, I did not really like the main character, Nadia, at first. She came across as selfish and uncaring. Thankfully, throughout the book her character develops, and I liked her by the end. Finally, the pace picked up, and the story was more interesting after the characters Basel and Tarek joined Nadia and Ammo Mazen.

I appreciated this book’s depiction of how complex civil wars are and how terribly they destroy a country and its people. In America, I feel so sheltered from such misfortune and calamity. Sometimes, it is tempting to forget/ignore these types of problems exist because they seem far away and difficult to relate to. That is why this book was important to me. It helped open my eyes and better understand different parts of the Syrian crisis. For that, I am truly grateful.

Unfortunately, “Escape from Aleppo” by N. H. Senzai did not seem quite like Newbery material to me. I liked it, but it was not over-the-top special. However, I am not an expert on the subject…

I really enjoyed "Escape from Aleppo." I found it riveting and exciting and heart-rending. We learned a lot about the history and culture of Aleppo. I especially enjoyed the parts about the historical treasures. I appreciated how "good" and complex Ammo was. I didn't care for Nadia at the beginning, but as she grappled with who Ammo might be and grew to care about the boys and balance Ammo's needs with her "selfish" desire to get to her father, I really started to like her. It really compares to a lot of the action-packed fantasies for me. I really think my fourth-grade son will enjoy the story, and he is excited to read it.

I just finished Escape from Aleppo, and I agree with you very much. I liked pretty much all of the characters, but most especially the two boys we meet in the middle of the story.

I did find it odd however that the author kept referring to the war as being caused by climate change. That is a theory that has all been debunked in the last few years. And no one can pinpoint a single drought or any single event on a gradual global phenomenon, especially since these events have been happening a long time. This only showed up a few places in the book, but it would’ve been a better book without it.

I did not care for the writing style of this book. It seemed forced and I really did not care about Nadia like I did the two boys and old man. There were really interesting historical nuggets, but would be lost to 14 year-olds and younger. I too found the climate change references strange. The Night Diary was a much better book about a country being torn apart by the seams. It is one of my top picks for Newbery and I hope it is a monthly pick before January.

Shella, I also enjoyed The Night Diary so much more.

I so wish there was an audio book! Haven't been able to read it!

I think an audio of The Night Diary would be awesome. I stopped so many times to retread the prose. I think this was a distinguished book that deserved more recognition and disappointed it was not on more radars- in fact I think our monthly choices overlooked many deserving books.