The Newbery project was a readers’ challenge that promised to be an “award winning” experience.
Students diligently read twenty current novels, which were possible contenders for the 2010 Newbery Medal. The Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the author with the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children in the United States during the preceding year. The goals of the Mock Newbery Challenge were to enrich and extend the current 7th grade language arts curriculum, to enhance higher level thinking skills through debating, persuasive speaking and writing, literary analysis, and much more. After reading and critically examining all 20 novels, students determined the one they felt best met the Newbery criteria and created this podcast to convince others.