Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

I thought this new book by Kathi Appelt (I got a free copy from Amazon Vine) was extraordinary--a blend of realism and fantasy about a young girl who is convinced her mother, who abandoned her when she was three, is really a mermaid...when things go all wrong in her life, she sets out to sea to find her. I highly recommend it--I think it's a book the Newbery committee will want to take a close look at.

I agree that Kathi's writing is extraordinary. She is amazing. But as far as Keeper goes, I didn't like the story at all. For me, it was achingly slow, with most of the story told in flashbacks. I also thought the themes were too adult for middle grade. The characters were great, though. I loved B.D. and Captain.

I can't imagine this book connecting with very many kids. But then, that's not really in the Newbery criteria, so who knows?

I agree with Lana's assessment...I'm not buying it for my library. I LOVED The Underneath (and so have my students) but I just can't see how Keeper will have broad appeal. The slowness worked in The Underneath...but not in Keeper.

Suebee - Funny, a friend just said she liked Keeper better than The Underneath and for the exact opposite reason as you stated. I was not impressed with the Underneath (don't shoot) and not sure I will pick up Keeper.

I am happy to read anything once, but I was not a fan of Appelt's The Underneath. The "magical realism" in The Underneath was hard for my sixth-grade students to understand. One girl in my class commented that she wished the author had just stuck to the straight-forward story about the dog and the cats under the porch instead of mixing in the other parts. I worry that Keeper will turn out to be another book that impresses literary critics but does not appeal to children.

I much preferred Keeper to The Underneath, and I think that the mermaid angle would work as a hook for kids. The animal characters were very effectively done in Keeper - and I'm someone who doesn't easily warm to animals!

I think there were enough themes that kids can relate to on an innate level - learning to make decisions, what to do when you feel like you've messed everything up - but also more complex themes that more sophisticated readers can pick up on. Lana, were there specific themes that you thought were too adult?

I'm in the middle of Keeper now. While the writing does have that beautiful Newbery quality that critics love, this book is. . .I don't know. . . missing something for me. I felt the same way about The Underneath.

I don't think the themes are too adult, but somehow Keeper doesn't feel authentic to me. I feel like I am reading an adult's version of her story, rather than Keeper's version of it.

I'm intrigued enough to keep reading though. Maybe my opinion will change.

I just felt like some of the relationships in the book were very complex, layered with subtleties of guilt, regret, and forgiveness that most kids just won't get. To me, it felt like serving liver pate to kids. There's nothing wrong with it, and probably some kids will like it, but overall, not my idea of kid-friendly content.