On early Friday morning, I take off for Seattle for the ALA Midwinter Meeting. I am not ready. Seriously, it has been a weird January. I know once I touch down in Seattle and get involved in discussions and seeing friends that I will be completely excited but until then I will be practicing mindful breathing. If you can’t make it to Seattle, join us on Monday for the YMA announcements via livestreaming.
Mark your calendars for the ALA Youth Media Awards (YMAs). They will begin at 8 a.m. Pacific/11 a.m. Eastern on Monday, January 28, 2019. Catch the live webcast here and follow the #alayma hashtag on twitter.
If you have been following the blog, you know that in the fall, I did several Mock Sibert blog posts. You can read them here: Getting Ready for the Mock Sibert | Mock Sibert Predictions Part I | Mock Sibert Predictions Part II
On January 7, 2019, I kicked off a Mock Sibert/Sibert Smackdown with six classes. This is my first time working with multiple classes to run Sibert Smackdowns. For the Sibert Smackdown, each class received the 10 books in the image above. I created a google folder with all of the resources that I thought they would need to learn about the books and share each book with their students. The teachers and I met back in December to talk about the Sibert Award and what was expected of them.
During the first week, I ran around to six different schools to touch-base with each teacher and her students. I loved pulling out the books and seeing the reactions of students. Most of the students participating in the Sibert Smackdown are in grades 3 to 6. Last week, I did a second visit to check in and help with any issues that had cropped up. This is our final week and I am encouraging teachers to wrap up and have their classes vote.
Here are a few photos from the past couple of weeks…
I made it in time for a read aloud of Adventures to School, in one of the classes. I loved how the students were blown away about children taking a snow mobile to school. We don’t get any snow in Southern California so this was particularly thrilling to them.
At another school, I stopped by and students were putting together google slides on each of the books.
Another school created a mountain and moved the books up as favorites rose to the top.
Another school did a quick vote to narrow the books down from 10 titles to six. Some clear favorites are emerging. I look forward to hearing who there final winners and honor book choices will be.
Now time for my picks. I decided to use the ten titles from the list that our students are considering.
My winner is a favorite of many of the students:
Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock, Illustrated by Katherine Roy (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
My Honor Book Winners:
Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went From the Football Field to the Art Gallery by Sandra Neil Wallace, Illustrated by Bryan Collier (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books)
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Tracie Sorell, Illustrated by Frané Lessac (Charlesbridge Publishers)
What Do You Do With a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan by Chris Barton, Illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Beach Lane Books)
If Polar Bears Disappeared by Lily Williams (Roaring Brook Press)
For fun, I am doing a Sibert Giveaway. Here are the rules:
1. You must complete a Mock Sibert post or a Sibert Smackdown post with your own predictions (or the predictions of your class) by Sunday, January 27, 2019 and add the link below and a comment in the comments section.
2. A Winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday, January 29th and announced on Wednesday, January 30th here on the blog.
3. You must be 13 years or older to enter (or have a parent enter on your behalf).
4. You must have a US or Canadian mailing address or if the book is available through Book Depository and they deliver to your country, please feel free to enter.
5. Winner will receive a copy of the 2019 Sibert Winner (or if you already own that book then one of the honor titles).
6. Special prize: If more than one of my predictions are correct, then the winner will receive a complete set of the 2019 Sibert titles (winner and all honor books selected this year).
7. Please do not add personal information like your email or mailing address in the comments.
Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews or Mock Sibert posts below.