Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman is her first foray into middle school age books. Could it also be her first Newbery? What did you think of it?

I loved it. I was surprised at how powerful it was for such a slim book. The prose was economical but beautiful. Vigi relates the terror and dangers appropriately for the intended audience.

THE BRIDGE HOME is definitely not a feel-good book. Homeless children on the streets of India are depicted trying to survive. The author finds hope in religion and the few social service agencies providing shelter, food and education.
I am sure the setting is accurately described. But the stories are depressing and it is hard to believe that improvement is possible in India or any of the other locations (including the US) where homeless children struggle every day.

http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/w/pag...

Yes, this is a Newbery contender. It was beautifully written. A reader can easily imagine what the characters think and how they feel. There is so much power in this less than 200-paged novel, which is a length that will attract many readers.

My Mock Newbery group selected this book for our May selection. I think this is the one to beat. Heartbreaking, yet triumph tale of street children in India. Let's hear it for the teachers in this book.

This is my favorite book of 2019, so far, and a worthy Newbery contender. The heartbreak of homelessness told through a young girl’s eyes provided a powerful and poignant story of survival, community, and hope despite dire circumstances.

Found this article in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/bo...

Czechgirl wrote: "Found this article in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/bo..."

Such a great article. Thanks for providing the link, Czechgirl!

In the early to mid 00's there was an influx of depressing children's middle grade readers. I am still traumatized by Cynthia Kadohata's Kira-Kira. How I hope we don't return to that trend in children's literature. Ofcourse The Bridge Home is well written. It is by Padma Venkatraman. Ofcourse the subject matter is important and everyone in the world should be aware of the millions of homeless and abused children in India. I believe it is just too dark for middle grade readers. The volume is slim but even if it were 600 pages I think many readers would finish it all in one sitting. Just to relieve the stress and hope for a satisfying ending. Worrying throughout the whole book as to whether the children would be beat, raped, killed...was overwhelming. One of the sisters had developmental issues and the author included a puppy to add to the stress. Does it have a shot as winning the Newbery. Yep, it does. Personally, I hope there will be many other contenders on the horizon.

I adored The Bridge Home - especially because those experiences are real (authors note, woo!) without being too overwhelming for the age group. I read it in a day and "sold" it the next, will see what the class of 6th graders think! Absolutely a Newbery contender!

Agree that it's probably a contender. Also agree that the puppy added to my stress - LOL.

My favorite read so far. Wow, what a beautiful book. A definite Newbery contender for sure. Here is my review:
An absolutely wonderful and heart-wrenching middle grade novel. This story will stay with me for a long, long time. I loved how it was written. There is something about the narrator writing a letter to her sister... The way the author developed the story made it impossible to put the book down until I knew the fate of all the characters, including the dog. It was lovely to see forgiveness and the start of reconciliation without falling prey to your old way of life. The book was suspenseful and terribly sad, but also real and hopeful at the end. In our diverse world. we need stories like this. We need to expose our students to stories that are powerful and real. We need to help all kids grow a tender heart to others who do not share our way of life. This book does that. It is a treasure.

I am a 5th grade reading teacher. A student of mine read The Bridge Home and when I saw the group reading it I decided to read it. Overall, I don’t like reading sad books, but I thought it was well done. The main characters voice was believable. I am glad that I read it and I hope to keep reading different types of books over the year.

The novel is such a sweet but sad story. Instead of concentrating on the abuse and horrors facing the homeless children of India, The Bridge Home highlights the protection and loyalty sisters (Viji and Rukku), the friendship and family bonds created by two street boys (Muthi and Arul), the compassion of adults, and the faithfulness of Kutti, an “adopted” dog. The difficulties of surviving the homelessness of the streets, including uncomfortable, insufficient shelter and digging in the mountains of trash to find glass bottles to sell, were balanced by the optimism and positive sprit of the children.

Although the story resolves with many positive outcomes, there are a few very sad situations. A parent might want to screen the book (a quick read of 194 pages) before giving it to a young reader to establish their comfort level for their child.

I wasn't prepared for that emotional ending. This is absolutely a contender for me. The fact that the story is made of actual events in children's lives, and that the author researched and talked to doctors, psychologists, etc. to make sure that the narrative was as brutally honest as possible makes the heart of the story all the more moving.

I enjoyed The Night Diary so much last year and with the similar style and setting it reminding me a that book. I liked that the author could develop such wonderful characters into a shorter story. This book does pack an emotional punch, but I thought the author did an excellent job bringing in serious topics for the intended audience. The closeness of the sisters and then the boys was so touching. I appreciated the authors depiction of faith in this story- that is so rare. With the rich discussions, exploration of important themes and memorable characters- I would be thrilled to see a book like this receive a nod from the Newbery committee.

I really enjoyed The Bridge Home. I found myself impressed with Viji and Rukku's boldness, worried about their safety and rooting for them the whole way. I was a little relived when they met Arul and Muthi and formed a little family. I must say by the end my heart ached for Viji's parents because I was not sure if they would know the truth, but I got a little of the closure I needed, even though I wished it was Viji's mom who came to see her and not the father. I would not mind a sequel to the story to see what becomes of Arul, Muthi and Viji. I appreciated Padma's writing style. I don't think I have read any juvenile fiction like this. The level of childhood poverty and homeless described in this story was astounding. It is too early to call it, but I could see this title on a summer prediction list, however a lot can change with fall releases!

I received an early copy of this book and first read it last summer. I felt then that it was something special. I have re-read it several times which I rarely do, wrote a blog post with two students giving their input, and listened to the audio which is read by Padma herself. The character development and the storyline are amazingly rich in my opinion. I am hopeful that Padma will continue to write more middle grade books, and I believe this one deserves some accolades this year.

Ana wrote: "My favorite read so far. Wow, what a beautiful book. A definite Newbery contender for sure. Here is my review:
An absolutely wonderful and heart-wrenching middle grade novel. This story will stay ..."

I totally agree with Anan - real but hopeful to the end. That is what I loved about it. Strong contender!