Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

The Line Tender by Kate Allen was chosen for the August book.
Do you think it is "distinguished?"

I loved this coming-of-age story. I liked how the author introduced the story by not only setting up the scene well where I could visualize it perfectly, but the friendship between Lucy and Fred. Then pretty early in the story, the author gives us that wham-bam event. I didn’t even know what a line tender was before I read the book, and the author did such a good job describing it. Very much a Newbery prospect.

http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/THE-L...
It's in my top four.

I enjoyed these characters so much. The author made the characters come to life masterfully. I have continued to think about Lucy and Fred and their families. The author clearly showed the pain of grief.

Brenda wrote: "I enjoyed these characters so much. The author made the characters come to life masterfully. I have continued to think about Lucy and Fred and their families. The author clearly showed the pain of ..."

I completely agree with this assessment. Allen's characters were so real to me. I adored this book, and it's definitely at the top of my contenders list.

My only quibble was that the time period wasn't completely clear from the beginning. Obviously the appearance of pay phones early on could tip someone off, although younger readers might not notice/understand, but I don't think the date was actually stated until we see the obituary? Someone correct me if I'm wrong! Perhaps this was done to draw in young readers who might otherwise be hesitant to read something "historical" (if we have to call the 90s historical, ha!).

THE LINE TENDER by Kate Allen contains elements and themes that are prominent in several of the books we have read this year.
The biology of the sea-going shark is reminiscent of SONG FOR A WHALE. The summer beach setting is similar to Cape Cod as described in SHOUTING AT THE RAIN. The grief and road trip reminds me of COYOTE SUNRISE. These similarities make it possible to compare books but does raise the issue of originality of presentation.
Recent news stories about increasing shark attacks on humans demonstrate the legitimacy of the story line.
I was squeamish about the concept that repopulating the disappearing seals had provided an increased food supply for sharks. I understand the hierarchical ecology of the food chain. But saving a species that is then eaten by predators does not seem entirely humane. I would think some child readers could become upset by this idea.

This may contain some spoilers- so stop reading if you are not finished with the book. Response to the quibble that we don’t know the exact time period from the start of the story- I think it is good for students to use their inference skills to deduce this- page 87 gives us a way to pinpoint the time period. I think up until then it is obvious to most readers that it is in the 1990’s- if not- there are great clues to help them figure this out to practice these skills. The friendship and coming of age between Lucy and Fred is beautifully written- the back story of the pendant was heart wrenching. The setting is wonderfully written and even though I’ve never been to this part of the country, the author is masterful in her description. Theme of dealing with profound grief, guilt and despair is well executed. The drawback as to why this story will not be in my top picks is that it is just too depressing. Having stories built around a dead mom is getting way overdone and even though the shark topic is interesting- it did not make it distinguished for me. Adding on the death of a close friend- it was just too heavy. I think it should have been either Fred or the mom- not both. Even though the symbolism of the line tender and the final scene were well written- I was not hopeful for the characters . I would caution readers that are currently dealing with grief before they read this book- the story is dealing with many layers of grief through many characters. I’m hoping authors will start creating amazing distinguished stories without a dead mom as part of the mix for the protagonist. If this story wins- I would think it is ok- I’m just craving well written distinguished stories with a living mother that is not a realistic fiction genre. I was just not up for a heavy read like this one after recently reading Kira-Kira. I also think our picks are really focused on realistic fiction. I appreciate other comments where the story spoke to them and considered it a top pick. That is what is wonderful about books- they can speak to a variety of readers in all different seasons of life.

Cara wrote: "Brenda wrote: "I enjoyed these characters so much. The author made the characters come to life masterfully. I have continued to think about Lucy and Fred and their families. The author clearly show..."

I also kept trying to figure out the time period. No one was using a cell phone so I thought it was probably the 90s. Loved the story and the character development, most especially the lovely relationship between Lucy and Fred. Definitely Newbery worthy. You mentioned an obituary. Where was it? I looked all through the book after I read your comment and couldn't find one.

Jan wrote: "Cara wrote: "Brenda wrote: "I enjoyed these characters so much. The author made the characters come to life masterfully. I have continued to think about Lucy and Fred and their families. The author..."

I apologize; I read the book a few months ago and don't currently have access to it. I thought I remembered seeing the date written in some sort of print material in the book - perhaps there is a newspaper article about the accident? I also think dates were mentioned in conjunction with Lucy's mom's research. Sorry I can't be more specific!

It's there- you just need to take her current age and the date of her mom's accident to know the year- I believe 1996- I don't have the book any longer to know for sure. It was before page 100. When I'm teaching setting- I encourage students to look for context clues to support their ideas for the setting. I liked how it was not directly stated.

5 stars and one of my top 3 Newbery contenders! The book started slow for me and seemed like another "teenage tragedy / angst" story, but about a third of the way in it really hooked me (pun intended!). I read the last 2/3 straight through and was thoroughly impressed with the balance of factual data about sharks, the complexity and depth of the various characters, and the interweaving (and ultimate resolution) of the many storylines and metaphors. The only slight concern is that young readers may have trouble relating to a mid-90's setting where children ride bikes around town unaccompanied in the summer, swim in quarries, listen to CDs using a Sony Diskman, and watch VHS tapes (but perhaps Stranger Things has helped to bridge that gap!) Highly Recommended - Grade 5+

PS - I'm a sports fan, so the arrival of Nomar Garciaparra on the Red Sox was a dead giveaway as to time setting - 1996!

I also loved this book! 5 stars and my top pick so far. I listened to the audio which was perfect! I believe anyone who picks this book up will find something to connect to because of the dimensions that exist in this book. Beautifully written, the characters grow and unfold throughout the story. Each story so delicately intertwined that there weren't any questions left unanswered. And the descriptions were spot on, putting me right there, walking alongside the characters in this sleepy MA town. Truly wonderful story!

I did not love this book. I thought the author’s writing was, at times, hard to follow. Inconsistencies and unbelievable material. What girl would tell her best friend, a boy, that she got her period? How did Fred get tangled in the tree roots- after he jumped in the quarry he surfaced? Why did it seem that there were no other children in the town? When Fiona takes Fred and Lucy to the record store, you have no clue who she is. Why is every adult except Mr. Patterson and teachers referred to by their first name?

The storyline is endearing, but to me, it isn't Newbery worthy. Coyote Sunrise is still my #1.

Do I think this book is distinguished? Absolutely! Did I enjoy reading it.....eh, not really. But I think this is a good book for me to practice putting aside my reading preferences to appreciate that a book can shine on its own terms, even if it's not what I personally would read for fun.

The delineation of themes was absolutely top notch. Another commenter said they thought having a dead mother and a dead friend was "too much", but I thought that one of the things the book really did well was to differentiate the layers of grief - Lucy's grief over her mother is different from her grief over Fred, and not just because more time has passed. The relationship was different, and she was a lot younger when her mother died. Many characters were touched by grief both for Lucy's mother and for Fred, and they mourn differently.

I did not love the ending chapter. I felt that a book that was very realistic suddenly veered into wish fulfillment fantasy for a feel-good moment that was entirely out of character with the rest of the book.

The pacing was very slow, with an emphasis on atmosphere that I did not personally care for, but which I found effective. I didn't count the number of times one character asked another if they were okay, but it was a lot.

My Mock Newbery friends selected this book for the "August Read." 2019 must be the year of the "Child in Mourning." This book, like COYOTE SUNRISE and THE BRIDGE HOME, features a protagonist who is mourning the loss of a close relative. While I enjoyed learning about marine biology and water rescues, I wonder if children will like it. Lucy and Fred had an atypical relationship, so atypical that I wonder if children can accept it as authentic. The book also got bogged down in the middle, a great time to lose middle grade readers. It took me almost a week to finish it. I don't think this book will be winning the Newbery in February.

I personally really enjoyed this one and I thought that it was very well written and intriguing. I also liked that it was set in the 90's though I wasn't able to figure that out until the year of Lucy's mother's death was mentioned. I thought that the topic of death and grief was very well handled. I personally don't think that this would win the Medal, but definitely an honor.

I agree with a lot of the other opinions here in that I think the author handled the theme of grief/loss with compassion and depth. But, for me, the way in which this theme is handled is more likely to resonate with an adult than with a middle grade reader. I'm not saying middle grade literature shouldn't tackle difficult topics--I wholeheartedly believe the opposite. The writing felt very restrained throughout to me in a way that does not typify my experience with middle grade students. Because of that, I think this one might be a tough sell to its intended audience.

Kristen wrote: "The Line Tender by Kate Allen was chosen for the August book.
Do you think it is "distinguished?""

Distinguished. Yes.