Welcome to my blog. I am a 5th grade teacher who truly loves children's literature, especially novels. I have been teaching for 8 years and have discovered so many wonderful children's books that I never knew existed. When I was in elementary schools (in the 1980's) I recall only a few of my teachers that read books to our classes, but those are some of my best memories of school. I now find that my 5th graders love read aloud time and they can't wait for me to read the next chapter. I hope to bring the joy of reading to all the children that I teach and by doing this I need to read as much literature as I can. Kids learn to read by reading books, not these curriculum series that large publishers make school buy because it appeals to the state and the districts. These do very little to get kids to be life long readers and to read for pleasure.
It is my goal to read every Newbery Award winning book, and blog about each one so that hopefully other teachers and kids will want to read them as well. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. I am now just discovering wonderful books that were never introduced to me as a child that I am now reading with my classes, and of course each year there a new awarded book named.
I have never been disappointed yet with a book from this list! I have no idea how long it will take me to read all of these books since I have only ready a handful and the list began in the 1920's, but I will finish eventually.
