Yes! It's time for Mock Caldecott

Buttons, pens, and ballots (oh, my)

Yesterday was my annual Mock Caldecott panel session with Dr. Mary Rycik's EDEC 323 Tradebooks and Technology with Literature class. I love this activity!

Students met in the library (second floor), outside the IRC, to review and evaluate picture books for a Mock Caldecott award. Tables are reserved and set up with pertinent handouts, books to evaluate, ballots for voting, IRC pens, and buttons proclaiming 'I voted for the Mock Caldecott.' This year I changed our voting process to include use of weighted ballots (first place vote = 4 points, second place vote = 3 points) and more closely follow the official nomination and voting process. In previous years, we voted by simple raise of hands. While it took longer to tabulate votes and move through the second nomination round and select a winner, student's seemed to enjoy using the ballots. I think it may also have helped remove any subtle peer pressure to vote for your group's initial nominated title. At the conclusion of our session, a clear winner (with 11 of 13 first place votes and a total score twice that of the next nominated title) and two honor books (tied for second place) were selected.

Students were introduced to elements picture book art and illustration such as layout, design, form and function, balance, use of space, and the importance of art telling the story. Artistic media and style, as well as the parts of a picture book are discussed.  They discuss picture book awards and in this instance came with great questions regarding the process.

Sixteen picture books were considered; the selection included a mix of artists publishing their first picture book and well known and award-winning illustrators. A variety of artistic mediums were represented such as collage, gauche, painted oils, pencil, watercolors, and mixed media. All of the titles were recent additions to the library juvenile collection and met basic Caldecott Medal criteria established by the Association for Library Services for Children, American Library Association Medal committee.

All of the titles we reviewed are available on the Mock Caldecott Panel Pinterest board:

Follow IRC's board Mock Caldecott Panels on Pinterest.

Students reviewed nominated titles, and completed two rounds of voting to select a final winner and two honor books.

Our Mock Caldecott winner for Fall 2015:

• The Night World, written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein

Honor book distinction was given to:

• My Pen, written and illustrated by Christopher Myers
  
• If You Plant a Seed, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
  

The IRC web site Mock Caldecott Panels page and EDEC 323 LibGuide provide additional support and resources for this activity.

*Information originally published on the IRC Blog post Mock Caldecott Panel (9/8/15).

Mock Caldecott: Fall Edition

It's that time again! Mock Caldecott panels were held earlier this week with Dr. Mary Rycik's EDEC 323 Tradebooks and Technology with Literature class. I had an opportunity to meet with this class last week to help set up blogs and Pinterest sites used during the term. Their in-depth exploration of children's literature includes classics, poetry, folklore, fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, award books, and a comprehensive author study.

... and their updated course LibGuide v2 is up to the challenge.

Prior to our session, students are introduced to elements of picture book art and illustration covering concepts of layout, design, form and function, balance, use of space, and the importance of art telling the story. Artistic mediums and styles, as well as parts of a picture book, are discussed. We met in the IRC to review and evaluate picture books; titles selected for the panel session meet criteria established by the Association for Library Services for Children, American Library Association Medal committee.

Twenty picture books considered are recent additions to the AU library juvenile collection. The selection included well known and award-winning illustrators as well as those new to picture book art. A variety of artistic mediums were represented such as collage, gauche, painted oils, pencil, watercolors, and mixed media. Students narrowed the field to four and voted for their winner. The Mock Caldecott winner, an overwhelming choice with 17 of 19 votes was Baby Bear, by author and illustrator Kadir Nelson. Honor book distinction was given to Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Interested in the books we used, check out the IRC Mock Caldecott Pinterest board.




* This post was originally published on the IRC News & Information Blog, 9/2/14

Mock Caldecott Award Panel

For the last few year (well, last ten+ years) I have facilitated Mock Caldecott Award panels with Dr. Mary Rycik's EDEC 323 Tradebooks and Technology with Literature students.  Each term we meet in the Instructional Resource Center to evaluate titles eligible for the Caldecott Award and select our winner. Titles selected for review by the student panel are recent additions to the library's juvenile collection; they are subject to terms and criteria established by the Association for Library Services for Children, American Library Association Medal committee.

Listening to the group discussion is always enlightening; they provide an interesting and fresh perspective to the process. I usually have a favorite among the titles selected for the panel; more often than not they are able to persuade me look more closely at a book I may have initially discounted. This group posted interesting questions about the process, including how people are selected to participate - and - if selection is more a matter of 'who you know' opposed to 'what you know.'  I offered School Library Journal's recent article The Givers: What it Takes to Serve on the Newbery, Caldecott Committees, by Shelley Diaz.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, by Peter Brown, was selected as this year's Mock Caldecott Award winner. The Dark, illustrated by Jon Klassen, was noted as an honor book. If interested, all of the titles considered today are located on the IRC Mock Caldecott Panels Pinterest board.

Follow IRC @ Ashland University Library's board Mock Caldecott Panels on Pinterest.