Mock Newbery Book Club
Berkeley students read the best new books of the year and vote on their favorites.
Thank you to all the students who participated in the Berkeley Mock Newbery Club this year! We had so much fun reading books, visiting with authors during virtual Mock Newbery Nights, giving away prizes, and hearing what you thought of these books. Keep reading!
2022 Berkeley Mock Newbery Winner
Congratulations to Lisa Fipps,
author of this year's Berkeley Mock Newbery Winner,
Starfish!
2022 Berkeley Mock Newbery Honoree
Congratulations to B.B. Alston,
author of this year's Berkeley Mock Newbery Honor Book,
Amari and the Night Brothers!
Voting Results from all of our schools:
District, School & National Mock Newbery 2021-22 winners and honors.pdfMock Newbery 2021-2022 Poster (updated).pdf
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
If you liked: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Audiobook available
Genre: Fantasy/Animals
If you liked: The Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-el
Genre: Realistic Fiction
If you liked: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Audiobook available
Genre: Historical Fiction/Magical Realism
Format: Graphic Novel
If you liked: Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Genre: Science Fiction
If you liked: Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Audiobook available
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Format: Illustrated Novella in Verse
If you liked: Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Audiobook available
Genre: Fantasy
If you liked: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Audiobook available
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Format: Novel in Verse
If you liked: Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Audiobook available
Genre: Adventure
Format: Illustrated Novel
If you liked: Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai
Coming out November 30!
Genre: Mystery/Ghost Story
If you liked: Doll Bones by Holly Black
Genre: Realistic Fiction
If you liked: Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes
We want to hear from you! Record a Flipgrid to tell us about your favorite Mock Newbery book so far!
How do I read these books?
You can get all of these books from your school librarian! If an ebook is available through Sora, you can also get the book by clicking on the book cover here.
What is the Mock Newbery Book Club?
Each year, the American Library Association awards the The Newbery Medal to the author of the most “distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” A group of librarians, teachers and writers are a part of the Newbery Committee, which meets regularly and picks the award winner every Winter.
In Berkeley, 4th and 5th graders form their own Mock Newbery Committees. In years past, the students met regularly to discuss and read a list of 10 new books chosen by their BUSD librarians to reflect the diversity of our community and spark joy and a love of reading. Students then vote on their choice to receive the Berkeley Mock Newbery Medal. Past winners in Berkeley include: Class Act, Front Desk, The War I Finally Won and Ghost. Which book will the students pick this year? Join us and find out!
This year we’ll also be meeting on Zoom for evening events for students and families, and your school librarian will be offering fun activities for 4th and 5th graders during recess and/or library class. Questions in the meantime? Ask your school librarian!