Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

Lauren Wolk won our Mock Newbery in 2017 with Wolf Hollow.

Do you think her new book - Echo Mountain is a solid Newbery contender?

Definitely a contender! Wolk has a special way of writing that draws you into the story and never lets go until you are done with the book. (Except the story stays with you) Wolk took a story that could have easily been a tiring and boring tale, but instead wrote it in a way that fascinates you.

What happens when a cataclysmic event disrupts the world? How do people who have lost everything rebuild their lives? Although we all have watched similar events in 2020, Lauren Wolk takes us back to the stock market crash that started the Great Depression. Her characters must respond to the wide-spread adversity.
She also explores the practices of medical science at that time. We are currently inundated with medical theories and approaches, but the trial-and-error story that she tells seems particularly relevant now.
ECHO MOUNTAIN certainly contains themes relevant to our time. I am not quite sure how Wolk knew this is what we would need this year.

Yes! Wolf Hollow was not only my Newbery pick it was also my favorite 2017 read of any genre and Echo Mountain is in my top 2 of any genre for 2020.

Just finished Echo Mountain and it is my pick for Newbery. I felt like I was right there in the story.

Travis wrote: "Yes! Wolf Hollow was not only my Newbery pick it was also my favorite 2017 read of any genre and Echo Mountain is in my top 2 of any genre for 2020."

Travis, if ECHO MOUNTAIN is in your top 2, what is the other title that is in that small group?

Also top of my Mock Newbery list for the year so far. The book makes it clear there are those that can be at home in nature and others are fated to be one with it. Ellie is one of the latter, an "excellent woods-girl who could hunt and trap and fish and harvest as if I'd been born to it." Her mother and sister Esther resent her for her almost spooky ability to succeed in this harsh, yet beautiful environment, whereas her father and younger brother Samuel cheer her on, accepting she is the best at forging this new life. But Ellie is also "an echo-girl," so symbiotically linked to nature that she feels the pain of animals she kills or traps, even of vegetables and plants she disturbs. When her father is injured in a logging accident and the family begins to fall apart, Ellie must find a way to fuse "her two-ness" and discover how to cure him and her divided family, as well as finding her true place in her mountain community.
Wolk is a beautiful wordsmith and this story has grit and lyricism in equal measures. She is ambitious for her child readers and equally expectant that the adult ones will embrace her work with the same diligence and concentration expected from the supposedly juvenile target audience. Some children will eat it up like Ellie's rabbits, others turn away in horror or boredom. And isn't that just like life?

LS wrote: "Travis wrote: "Yes! Wolf Hollow was not only my Newbery pick it was also my favorite 2017 read of any genre and Echo Mountain is in my top 2 of any genre for 2020."

Travis, if ECHO MOUNTAIN is in ..."

LS, its not a children's read but I found The Long Bright River by Liz Moore to be an engaging read set among the damage of the opioid crisis in Philadelphia and one family in particular. Although it has some thriller and cop procedural elements it is more of an accessible literary fiction read. And it's a debut, it's always fun to think of what's ahead for a new author.

I second Travis! The Long Bright River is a harrowing read but so illuminating both as a study on the opioid crisis and its impact on a devastated family. The writing is such high quality but the pages fly by if you can stand up to its almost overpowering strength.

I have read so many great middle grade novels this year but Echo Mountain really stands out. The descriptive writing, the characters, the setting...I really did not want to have this story end but I loved how it did end!

I have been reading many titles this year- but not one of our monthly picks yet. This month I was able to get a copy of our title. Even though I have like many other titles that have been published this year-this title is a standout. It is one of my top picks! I love Ellie's character and the rich themes of the story. Very important themes for our current generation to discuss, explore and embody. Wolk is a talented author that weaves words together in beautiful ways. You feel each character's emotion and the relationships that unfold through her pages are memorable.

I do enjoy Lauren Wolk's books, and I think "Echo Mountain" is her best yet! Set in the 1930's, somehow this story reminds me of a perfect blend of some of my other favoites: "My Side of the Mountain" meets "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be" meets "The War That Saved My Life". I read it straight through and finished with a tear in my eye, a smile on my face, and a song in my heart. I'm just 2 days into my 2021 Newbery Contender reading for the summer, but so far I think "Echo Mountain" and "The One and Only Bob" are worthy - but I would have to give the nod to "Echo Mountain"!

I agree Scot, I love all of Lauren Wolk’s books, but Echo Mountain may be my favorite, and it is my this years Newbery pick so far. Wolk writes such wonderfully strong and appealing female characters.

What a beautiful story - I loved the character development and found myself drawn into the story so deeply, I couldn’t put the book down. Read it in one day. A keeper, and a contender for Awards.

I read all of Wolf Hollow and thought it was basically a PG version of To Kill A Mockingbird, but with giant plot holes. I read the first 20-30 pages of this one and got the same vibe.

So far, I'm not blown away by any of the books that came out this year. It seems like I'm in the minority.

What were your connections from Echo Mountain to To Kill a Mockingbird? I have not read Wolf Hollow.

I have read a number of children's books set in the depression (Out of the Dust, Bud Not Buddy). This one stands out because it was hopeful throughout. Yes, life was harder, food wasn't widely available, but Ellie was embracing the adventure of living in the mountains. She is such an inspiring character! Such a great role model for young readers. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but I am afraid that it might be too slow paced for some children. A possible contender.

I loved how the book shows that people are flawed but they can still can grow and change in spite of their flaws. The story will appeal to dog/animals lovers as well and that was kind of fun!

I remember wanting to love Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk when I read it back in 2017. It was definitely good, and I rated it four stars. I just didn't love it like I wanted to.

Therefore, I prepared myself for another good book but reminded myself not to have too high of expectations before starting Echo Mountain.

Well... I was completely blown away and loved this!

Wolk's writing is unquestionably beautiful. Moreover, the characters really drew me in, and they didn't let me go. I'm not sure how, but I found myself relating to all the characters, from Ellie to Esther.

I found Echo Mountain distinguished and think it’s a solid Newbery contender this year. Wolk drew me in immediately, and, although at times near the end when Cate is sick at Ellie’s home the story felt too drawn out, she’d leave enough yummy crumbs to keep me hooked and waiting to find out what happened next. It’s great when there is never an easy moment to put down a story. This book lands in our laps at a particularly appropriate time – finding ourselves in our own COVID-19 “new normal”, national economic depression the likes of the Great Depression, a test of our sense of community responsibility, and the powerful choice of our emotional response to adversity. Wolk effectively explored the themes of social responsibility, family, friendship, medicine, and the Great Depression’s impact and displacement. The writing is complex and layered, yet the plot and character development is crystal clear. Wolk’s style is inviting and rich, so I felt immediately part of 12 year old Ellie’s world, and, frankly, fascinated by it. It is admirable how Ellie is constantly thinking, re-evaluating, and problem-solving. She is humble, brave, kind, secure and authentic. Ellie is strong and impressive both in her assumption of her father’s physical chores but in how she trusts herself and takes wonderful, compassionate care of others in spite of her own hardships. I sit here wondering what happened next for Ellie and her family; and isn’t that the sign of deep reader engagement? I will definitely recommend this book to fans of “The War That Saved My Life”.

Shella wrote: "What were your connections from Echo Mountain to To Kill a Mockingbird? I have not read Wolf Hollow."

They are both about a girl in a small, close-knit community who receives anonymous gifts from an outsider.

To Kill a Mockingbird takes its title from the idea that it's wrong to mistreat someone who is doing no harm. That was also the theme of Wolf Hollow, and I have a feeling it may also be a theme in Echo Mountain.

Granted, the character is different. Scout Finch has a different personality and socioeconomic status than the protagonist of this book. That just wasn't enough to distract me from the overlap of plot, theme, and setting.

I just finished it and am absolutely blown away at how lovely this book was. As an adult reader, I am curious as to how my young tween library readers will take this (as always!) So I can't wait to put this in their hands when libraries reopen safely. I loved the balance of stories going on up and down the mountain, in and out of the city, in and out of the house, and old vs new life. There were so many side stories so perfectly intertwined, and tied up neatly at the end (well, as neatly as they could for folks living in the wilderness during the depression.)