Well,  you never know with the Newbery, but these are less likely contenders.  Nevertheless, they were among my favorites in 2015.

 

The Detective’s Assistant by Kate Hannigan.  Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Nell was one of the feistier characters to grace the pages of 2015 books.  Teaming up with her based-on-real-life Aunt Kate, a Pinkerton detective, the two of them solve murder mysteries and prevent an attempt on the life of newly-elected President Abraham Lincoln.

 

Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard.  Published by Disney-Hyperion.

And here we have one of the year’s creepiest characters.  Jory’s stepfather Caleb sees signs of end times everywhere.  His solution?  Put the whole family to work digging night and day to create a protective bunker and bury themselves before the world comes to an end.

 

Masterminds by Gordon Korman.  Published by Balzer + Bray.  Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aljgBApiwM

Serenity, New Mexico seems too good to be true.  And you know what they say, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.  Five kids unravel the secrets of their perfect town and end up running for their lives.

 

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen.  Published by Scholastic Press.

During the few days Gerta’s father and brother are in West Berlin looking for jobs, the Berlin Wall goes up.  Their family remains divided for years, until one day Gerta sees her father on top of the wall, pantomiming for her to dig.  Now it’s up to her and her older brother to tunnel under the wall to freedom before neighbors and East German officials can catch on to what they’re doing and put a violent stop to their plan.

 

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands.  Published by Aladdin.  Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InHiOzdWRD0

A story about 17th-century English apothecaries?  Yeah, it didn’t really catch my eye at first either.  Turns out it’s a mystery full of complex codes, secret societies, and a serial killer who is targeting…you guessed it, 17th-century English apothecaries.  All told in apprentice Christopher’s lively and humorous voice.

Given every year for “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children”, the 2016 Newbery will remain anyone’s guess until January 11.  That doesn’t stop wild speculation from occurring all over the children’s literature world.  Here are five that I’d like to see get recognized:

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.  Published by Dial Books.

Released on January 5, the first middle grade book I reviewed, this was my favorite novel of the year.  Ada’s story of escape from her abusive mother is also the story of redemption for not only Ada, but her brother, Jamie,  and their new “mother”, Susan, as well.

 

Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai.  Published by HarperCollins.

I waited almost ten months to finally get around to this book.  I didn’t expect it to be so funny, or to make me want to visit the fascinating country of Vietnam.

 

The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelly Pearsall.  Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Arthur, the Junk Man, Arthur’s mother, Squeak…I found them all kind of unappealing at the beginning of the story, but they gradually worked their way into my heart, until I was rooting for each one to play his or her part in bringing about the unveiling The Throne of the Third Heaven masterpiece.

 

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan.  Published by Scholastic

Otto’s magical fairy tale weaves its way through the three stories of Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy, each enduring difficult circumstances during the years of World War II.  An enchanted harmonica falls into each of their hands, its beautiful music bringing joy during dark times, until the music brings all three together in the end.

 

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead.  Published by Wendy Lamb Books.

Seventh grade is the main character of this story about three friends finding their way through this exciting and difficult year, remaining loyal despite the increasingly different paths their lives take.  A mysterious second-person narrator’s story is interspersed with the chapters that make up the main narrative, until all the threads weave together at the end.