Mock Caldecott

Every year, divisions of the American Library Association bestow awards upon children's books. Among the three most coveted prizes: the Printz Medal, the Caldecott Medal, and the Newbery Medal. Because the committees operate in secrecy, it's anyone's guess as to which books are frontrunners or even in consideration. Public and school libraries around the country often have mock committees and clubs whose aim it is to guess what books will win which awards. 

The CRC will be hosting a Mock Caldecott committee this year, and will be following the process (kinda, sorta) that the actual committee follows to select the winner and runners-up. We are entering our eighth year of Mock Caldecott! 

In order to more closely follow the process of the Real Committee, instead of monthly meetings, we will recommend titles to read each month. Additionally, we will solicit suggestions from our participants. All books, including those suggested by participants, will be placed on reserve at the Curriculum Resource Center. We encourage participants to use the Mock Caldecott Evaluation Sheet while reading the books.

On Friday, January 23rd, the Mock Caldecott Extravaganza will be held from 2:00 PM - 4:45 PM in the CRC located on the second floor of Jerome Library. During this marathon session, we will meet as a committee, review all the nominated titles under consideration, discuss the titles, and follow the process (as closely as possible) to determine a winner. Pizza, snacks, and beverages will be served as we ballot and vote until one title remains. Feel free to view the schedule below for information on the event, attend when you are able to, but try to stay for the whole program timeframe for the experience!

The CRC's Mock Caldecott has correctly guessed winners or honorees every year for the past five years. Will our streak continue? Join us to find out!

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Every year, the Association of Library Services to Children, a division of the American Library Association, awards the Caldecott Medal to the artist(s) of the most distinguished American children’s picture book.

Criteria for the Award

• The book must provide the child with a visual experience, one that unifies story elements, such as plot and theme, cohesively through the series of pictures.
• Children must be the target audience, with childhood being defined as up to fourteen years of age. Books within this entire age range may be considered, but the intended age group’s understandings, abilities, and appreciations should be taken into consideration.
• “Distinguished” is
  • marked by eminence and distinction; noted for significant achievement
  • marked by excellence in quality
  • individually distinct
• The work must be original; illustrations reprinted or coupled are ineligible
• The work must be published in the United States; original publications from other countries are ineligible
• The work must be published in the previous year
• The artist must be a United States citizen or have an established, maintained residence in the United States
• The artist’s entire body of work may not be taken into consideration.

from ALSC guidelines for the Caldecott Medal (ala.org/awards) with some emphasis from me