Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus was chosen for our book of the month. This wartime story has already received some very positive reviews.

Is it distinguished?

I think it’s distinguished! I finished it this weekend. It has elements of many classic books written years ago but it also feels accessible for the modern reader. The topic is still interesting to readers and historical fiction is enjoyed by so many.

This is a sweet book reminiscent of The War that Saved my Life. This would make a great read-aloud for children/families/classrooms studying WW2, and does not as gruesome details about hardships as many books in this category. The ending is satisfactory albeit predictable!

This is a classic story that will captivate children itching for an enticing read aloud with characters they truly care about, think stories such as A Little Princess. The teamwork between the three Pearce children, often caused by Edmund's serious blunders was delightfully uncomfortable. The impeccable details of World War II torn London, resilient orphans dealing with their unpredicatable existence as evacuees, along with enticing suspenseful action, creates a most satisfying read, with a Newbery flavor.

PLACE TO HANG THE MOON by Kate Albus is the tale of three children who were evacuated from London during the bombings of World War II. Although saved from bombs, they encounter other problems including bullying, hunger, cold, lice and prejudice.
The local librarian becomes the heroine that rebuilds their family. The readings of the main characters incorporate many children’s books popular at that time.
The story has an old-fashioned tone with a predictable storyline. A well-written, contemporary homage to the Narnia series.

A tender story of three siblings whose lives are upended by the death of their grandmother/guardian and the evacuation of children from London during WWII. This book reminded me somewhat of a cross between “The Penderwicks” and “The War that Saved My Life”. This story of loss, love, and longing kept me riveted to the end. This is the stuff that wonderful children’s stories are made of. Loved it. ❤️

I am currently reading this book and can see it quickly making it to one of my favorite reads of 2021.

Wow this book is such a breath of fresh air. It's such a satisfying sweet tale of hope love and struggle! I very much enjoyed it that reminded me a lot of children's classics that are beautifully written.

The story was familiar but I still loved this book. The relationship between the siblings (William, Edmond and Anna) was very touching. I liked how the related to one another. I loved the ending. It was well written and just a great read.

I did not think this one was distinguished. The bookstore, the relationships between the siblings, and the found family elements were charming, but I thought it was too slow and felt too derivative. The War That Saved My Life was much better.

I expected to love A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus. I should have loved it, actually. And… I did like it. It just wasn’t as good as I hoped.

I could see bits of A Series of Unfortunate Events, The War that Saved My Life, and The Willoughbys in this (all of which I love). However, it didn’t seem special. I wanted it to offer something striking, impactful, and new. This was too familiar. Too safe.

While I gave it 4 stars (after seriously deliberating on 3), I don’t see it as a strong Newbery contender.

Full confession, I reviewed this book as a DRC. I felt ever so slightly manipulated by the ever-popular premise of Adorable English Siblings during World War Two who are more charming, well-read and plucky than any other nationality of child could EVER hope to be - but I still ate it up with a spoon. A sticky, treacly, mouth-puckering spoon but I swallowed my Spoonful of Sugar and enjoyed it, though I needed a cold glass of water afterwards in the shape of the daily news. Look, this is delightful stuff, complete with a reading list of all the books that the author, characters and this reader adore. It will be a bit hit with the kiddies and with many a parent and teacher who are looking for just this kind of "good" literature to put on top of all the reading lists. I will put it, if not on top, then somewhere on my mental list of Safe Bets for Reader's Advisory. I love that cover and the more I stare at it, the better I feel about the book - it's a bit twee, but utterly charming and cozy. The eternally interesting idea of child evacuees and their experiences is safely and tidily presented here, nothing too strong but not a picnic in the countryside ALL the time either. And of course who doesn't love the message that libraries will get us Through It All (which they do, of course.) To think it was written by an American, with all the warm and fuzzy feels about English children as anything E. Nesbit or Hilary McKay or Frances Hodgson Burnett ever dreamed of. Give it to fans of The War That Saved My Life and they'll be happy, and if they come back, slip in a Katherine Rundell and a Marjorie Blackman for a more bracing cuppa.

@kidlitter- I just love your review!

Thank you so much - I felt like I was taking easy shots at a helpless kitten!

This is still my favorite from 2021. I loved The War That Saved My Life, but it is such a devastating read. This book had all the beauty of that novel and none of the heart break! Should definitely be a Newbery contender.

I read this in one sitting. It immediately reminded me of The War that Saved My Life without the pure cruelty suffered by the main character in that book; Ada's escape from her abusive parent is no less a miracle. A Place to Hang the Moon is a sweet well-written book and the Pearce children are easy to love and root for but while they are bullied and shuttled from one home to another it is clear they were destined to end up with Mrs Mueller. I feel the author had the opportunity to throw more obstacles in their way, but chose not to thus creating a lovely, safe read, but not one that feels like a Newbery contender to me.

I agree! Just finished last night and could tell they would end up with Mrs. Mueller. While I enjoyed all the book references, am not sure kids would get as much as I did. Would probably have rated higher if I had not read The War that Saved My Life first.

I loved the nod to Edmund in the Narnia series. One of my favorite books of the year. But not much diversity.

Kirsten wrote: “I loved the nod to Edmund in the Narnia series.”
Another book from this year that evokes the Narnia titles is The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S by David Levithan. Aidan is transported to the alternative world of Aveinieu by going through an old wardrobe in the attic. Even the investigating police officer recognizes the similarity when he says, “Are you sure it’s not called Narnia?” (p. 34)
Has anyone come across other books that use Narnia elements this year?

I am giving this book 3 stars but I think kids will like it more than I did, since I was reading this book from a librarian lens in parameters for distinguished writing for a literary award. At it's core, this story is about 3 orphan siblings who are sent out to the English countryside during WWII in efforts to get children out of potential war zones. William, Edmund, and Anna are justifiably even more worried because their grandmother has just died, and was their legal guardian - a solicitor in charge of the family has tasked them to find a suitable family to take them in as a "billet" and then to invite the right family to adopt them. This is where I started to find the story problematic, a reader would have to suspend disbelief that this would occur in any way - which led me to believe that maybe a little bit of fantasy would be involved. The language style itself invites a reader to think something fantastical will come, but it does not. Instead what is happening is that literary tropes from many other children's literature are pulled to evoke almost all aspects of this story. We get the transported siblings from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (and it is no coincidence that the annoying brothers in both stories are named Edmund,) the orphans from Series of Unfortunate Events bouncing from home to home, with a little bit of The War That Saved My Life siblings also transported and struggling to find a good home. I even saw a bit of the Harry Potter Dursleys in the bad billet homes. Parts of it even felt like the adult novel,The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which kids would not have a reference for. I have also never read a book that referred to Hitler as Mr. Hitler, but that's a whole other story. Kids will probably enjoy this story because it sort of ties up with a very neat and uncomplicated bow. I suggest readers try The War that Saved My Life Instead or if you're curious about a funny sibling story series, try the Incorrigible children of Ashton Place series. This is a debut novel and just my opinion.

I was delighted when I read A Place to Hang the Moon, maybe because it was so uplifting during a time of isolation and despair. In fact, I can be quoted as saying that I thought it was "delicious," partly because of all of the delectable foods mentioned in the novel. It made me want to have a tea party! I do see the concerns people have raised, but, even though those very suspicions lurked in the periphery as I read the book, I just didn't care! It was such a welcome relief to snuggle up with familiar-seeming settings and characters, as if I were re-reading multiple childhood classics, all bundled into one. Personally, I would love to see the book receive some love from the committee, but I've had some of my favorites burned enough in the past few years that I've hardened my expectations and will leave it that I'd be pleasantly surprised to see it garner some recognition. Regardless, I am quite sure that I will gladly return to this story again some time in the future when I need another dose of teatime magic to help me see life with rose-colored glasses again!

Kate, I read the David Levithan book, too. Wow! We should definitely read that for discussion this year, too. Interesting Narnia connection. I haven’t come across any others yet, but now I’ll be watching.

I fall into the camp with all of those reviewers above who loved this book. I did, too, and mostly for the same reasons they loved it. Even though adult readers can anticipate that the children will finally end up with the librarian, I don't know that child readers will necessarily figure that out, early on anyway, since they haven't read as many books as voracious reading adults have. While I don't really think it will win a Newbery award or honor, I do think it is a book that children who like historical fiction, WWII stories, or orphan stories will also enjoy.

Narnia appears in another title this year:
DaVinci’s Cat by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. A wardrobe, designed by Leonardo da Vinci, provides a time travel portal between Italy in 1511 and present day New Jersey. When Bee emerges from the wardrobe, her initial response is, “I’m in Narnia! Hey, are you Lucy?”