Newbery Medal 2006: Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins. Sequel to Perkins’ debut novel All Alone in the Universe. This one is described in various places as “poetic”, “Zen-like”, “lyrical”, and “experimental”. With those kinds of descriptors it could either be very good or very bad.

Newbery Honor Books:

Whittington by Alan Armstrong. It’s about Dick Whittington (Lord Mayor of London) and about a boy named Ben who is dyslexic. Sounds appealing.

Hitler’s Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Nonfiction. I’ve seen this book recommended here and there. If you’re interested in this subject, I’d suggest an old book, but a good one: Hansi, the Girl Who Left the Swastika by Maria Anne Hirschmann. It’s the true story of a member of the Hitler Youth who becomes disillusioned with the promises of Hitler and the Nazis, becomes a Christian and later immigrates with her family to the United States.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. This selection is the only one of this year’s Newbery books that I can say anything about, and not because I’ve read it. I haven’t read any of these. However, I did read Shannon Hale’s Goose Girl and liked it very much.

Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson. Also nonfiction(?). Woodson tells the history of the women of her family from slavery through today and also the history of her family’s “show way” quilts. HornBook says the book has a “patchwork motif.”

Here’s a list of all the Newbery Medalists since 1922.