Mock Printz 2026 discussion

Given the circumstances, I understand that many people will have limited options of obtaining this month's book. Feel free to discuss in our general forum anything that you have been reading that you might think would be Printz worthy.

This one just grabs you and pulls you along. I appreciated the author's care to show multiple POVs, even when they contradict one another, since that is usually how witnesses to historical events describe them. It made me want to learn more.

I listened to this one. It was nice to have a full cast. I would like to know if there was a struggle with reading it.

I would agree that it pulled me along. Wiles did a nice job of incorporating different POVs. I did feel that one voice took precedent over the others. I almost wish some of the other POVs would have been fleshed out a bit more.

I really love how Wiles devotes a chapter to each day of the conflict at Kent State. I appreciate the concision of the verse, boiling a very complex event down to the most important points. The cover of the book is thought provoking before the reader even reads a word, setting the stage for what is to come.

The multiple points of view are really what elevate this book, as the voices really capture the cultural clashes that had been percolating for almost a decade. The formatting of the different fonts was well done, with the font/size being used to define the voice and perspective. I hope it's in the conversation in January.

I read this and Derf Backderf's graphic novel about Kent State back-to-back, around the anniversary of the shootings (which, dating myself, I remember). I love the way Wiles uses multiple voices and corresponding fonts--very effective in conveying both inner and revealed emotions. I hope this book finds its way into the curriculum, maybe 10th grade to coincide with U.S. History, where the 1960s protest movements need a place--and an award would move that process along. It's also timely, given that the U.S. is again in an atmosphere of protests.

I found this book to be incredibly powerful and yes, Printz-worthy. My only concern is who is the target audience. If it is middle grade kids, I wonder how they will do with the voices represented by font style and size. It took me a long time to figure out who was speaking and I'm an adult motivated to read and complete the book.