Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

Newbery Honor author Gary D. Schmidt has received very good ratings on his latest publication, The Labors of Hercules Beal.

Could this publication win him a Newbery award?

http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/THE-L...

I would love it if Schmidt won a Newbery for this one. I adored this book. I love the fact that he seemed to poke fun at his own penchant for using repetition as a literary device when Colonel Hupfer chided Herc for using it. I do believe that were I to read one of Schmidt's books w/o knowing the author, I could identify his style. It's singular.

These are such good points to supper Schmidt's latest as Newbery-worthy. His finely honed style is unique and recognizable. I can't wait to read this one!

Schmidt is one of my favorite authors. I loved this title. He creates such rich secondary characters. There are very few authors that could pull off a tight story scaffold like the 12 Labors of Hercules to modern day. He always builds in such positives when characters are working through very dark times. The humor Schmidt brings into the story keeps the book light enough without watering down the serious aspects of the story. His writing style always hooks me in and connects me to the characters right away. The importance, support and love from the community shines through the pages. Many aspects of this book were distinguished.

Question for the group: Do you see the books that have included secondary characters from Wednesday Wars as a series/sequels or companion novels?

Companion novels - they can be read independently, without having to wade through previous books to be understood and enjoyed. But what a treat when you recognize a character from another story and learn a little of what has happened to them since the past books. That is one of the reasons Schmidt works well with Reader's Advisory - you can present the book as a stand-alone and they'll come back for more. I do think Schmidt is hard to place in a collection - his works are a little dense for an elementary age and sometimes get lost on the middle school shelves.

Fans of Percy Jackson will appreciate THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL which provides a contemporary context for some Roman and Greek mythological characters. Well written by author Gary Schmidt, several storylines and themes are effectively woven together. A strong contender for Newbery recognition.

Awesome! Typical Gary Schmidt book with crying and laughing. My favorite for the Newbery so far.

I wrote this before I read all of your reviews and controversy. Glad I read it and I've enjoyed your comments, both + and -.

As I read this I had flashes of so many middle grade authors I love - Barbara O'Connor, Jack Gantos, Deborah Wiles. I won't write a review, because I would refer to Betsy Bird's and Richie Parington's that are both so well written and pointed out so much I missed in the reading.

So much of the humor will go to adults/teachers reading the book. I especially loved the chapter on the media and lines like "It's NPR it will be very tasteful and no one will hear it."


I know I missed the humor about Catholicism because I just don't have the background, but I'm sure there was a lot.

I doubt this will get Newbery recognition, but I'm sure it will get lots of reading and lots of buzz.

This book will definitely be a serious contender for the Newbery Medal. I think this book is so creative and poignant. There's so much to love about it. It made me laugh and cry. The characters are vintage Schmidt, each one playing an important role in the story. I think a couple of the present day labors were a bit of a stretch and I got lost sometimes (or didn't really care about) in the actual myths - I found myself skimming through them by the end just to get to the present day. All in all though, a very successful story about loss, grief, love, and caring about your fellow man.

This adventure about a 7th grader with a tough life gives one much to ponder. Because of the challenges Hercules experiences in his personal life, as well as environmental disasters often occurring around him, he has to deal with many harrowing problems that he must solve. The connections between Hercules Beal and the mythological Hercules add a wondrous extra dimension of contrast to this suspenseful tale, since the gods were often so cruel to one another. Hercules conversely shows true grit by finding positive solutions to his many challenges, even though they're often truly dangerous. The kindness that he exudes throughout his "Labor" challenges, brings his family, school, and neighborhood together with powerful strength. A winner, perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen.

I thuraly enjoyed this book. I liked how Hercules was able to connect the labors to an event in his life. This showed his charactor well. I think this could be a newbery contender though some parts did seem like a bit of a stretch.