Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

1953 Newbery Honor

Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.

Comments below by: Hannah M., 5th grade

Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O'Dell

1961 Newbery Medal

Records the courage and self-reliance of an Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California coast when her tribe emigrated and she was left behind.

Comments below by: Cassie N., 3rd grade

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

2008 Newbery Honor

When a new, white student nicknamed "The Jesus Boy" joins her sixth grade class in the winter of 1971, Frannie's growing friendship with him makes her start to see some things in a new light.

Comments below by: Hannah M., 4th grade

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

1991 Newbery Medal

This humorous yet poignant tall tale concerns a super-athletic teenager who bridges his town's racial gap. Ages 8-12. (Publisher's Weekly)
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Comments below by: Madison W., 5th grade

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

1987 Newbery Medal

Amazon.com Review
The plot involves the orphan Jemmy, who must take the whippings for the royal heir, Prince Brat. Jemmy plans to flee this arrangement until Prince Brat beats him to it, and takes Jemmy along. Jemmy then hears he's charged with the Prince's abduction as this Newbery Medal winning book turns toward a surprising close.

Comments below by: Emily U., 5th grade

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson

1945 Newbery Medal

It has been a while since Folks lived in the Big House, and an even longer time has passed since there has been a garden at the House. All the animals of the Hill are very excited about the new Folks moving in, and they wonder how things are going to change. It’s only a matter of time before the animals of the Hill find out just who is moving in, and they may be a little bit surprised when they do.

Comments below by: Summer F., 4th grade

The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

1955 Newbery Honor

The New York Times Book Review "This one is to be long remembered for its beautifully written beauty and simplicity."

Comments below by: Jordan S., 3rd grade

Hitler's Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

2006 Newbery Honor

What was it like to be a teenager in Germany under Hitler? Bartoletti draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there.

Comments below by: Josh B., 6th grade; Brad S., 6th grade

Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles

1971 Newbery Honor

Annie, an Indian child, resorts to extremes in trying to prevent her dear grandmother from dying. The "old one" has said she will return to Earth when she has finished helping Annie and Annie's mother to weave their new rug, so the child does everything she can to delay the project. When the grandmother explains her beliefs, Annie understands and no longer attempts to hold back time.

Comments below by: Jordan S., 3rd grade; Emily U., 5th grade; Emily S., 5th grade; Mercedes B., 3rd grade

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

1972 Newbery Medal

The rats of NIMH learn more than the scientists bargain for. They escape and embark on an adventurous mission of mercy to save the orphaned family of a brave fieldmouse colleague. A story that is as engrossing as it is unusual. (9-11 yrs) (Kirkus UK) --Kirkus Review

Comments below by: Stone K., 6th grade and Cassie N., 3rd grade, Tadd W., Caroline C., Meridith C., Logan B., Parker K., Travis O., Ben A., Alex A., Grace F., Ryan W.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

1978 Newbery Medal

The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

Comments below by: Stone K., 6th grade

Shiloh by Phyllis R. Naylor

1992 Newbery Medal

Marty finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, and tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.

Comment below by: Stone K., 6th grade; Brad S., 6th grade, and Lauren H., 4th grade, and Hannah M., 4th grade

The Dark Frigate by

1924 Newbery Medal

A young man dares not return to England after his ship is taken over by pirates and he becomes a member of their crew.

Comments below by: Lauren K., 5th grade

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaula

2000 Newbery Honor

Children's author-illustrator Tomie De Paola describes his experiences at home and in school when he was a boy.

Comments below by: Emily S., and Emily U., 5th grade

Sugaring Time by Kathryn Lasky

1984 Newbery Honor

Text and photographs show how a family taps the sap from maple trees and processes it into maple syrup.

Comments below by: Emily U., 5th grade

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L'Engle

1963 Newbery Medal

Three extraterrestrial beings take Meg and her friends to another world.

Comments below by: Stone K., Clara M., and Georgia G., 6th grade

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

1949 Newbery Honor
A young boy determines to rescue a poor baby dragon who is being used by a group of lazy wild animals to ferry them across the river on Wild Island.
Comments below by: Jordan S., 3rd grade

Dr. De Soto by William Steig

1983 Newbery Honor
Dr. De Soto, a mouse dentist, copes with the toothaches of various animals except those with a taste for mice, until the day a fox comes to him in great pain.

Comments below by Emily U., Hannah S., and Emily S., 5th grade; and Mercedes B., 3rd grade

Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson

2006 Newbery Honor

A mother passes on the tradition of making quilts, or "Show ways", that serve as secret maps for freedom seeking slaves.

Comments below by: Emily S., 5th grade

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

Newbery Medal

Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh

1953 Newbery Honor

The grownups did not believe there were bears on Hemlock Mountain. Jonathan did, and he had to fetch a pot from the other side of the mountain.

Comments below by Emily U., and Emily S., 5th grade

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

2004 Newbery Honor

The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

Comments below by Emily S., Emily U., 5th grade
Summer F., 4th grade

Savvy by Ingred Law

2009 Newbery Honor

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy" -a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day.

Comment below by Cassie N., 3rd grade

Ramona Quimby Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

1982 Newbery Honor Book

From the first day of third grade, when Ramona Quimby meets her eventual nemesis Yard Ape, life moves on at its usual wild pace--usual for the boisterous Ramona, that is. Soon she is accidentally squashing a raw egg into her hair at the school cafeteria, being forced to play Uncle Rat with her annoying young neighbor, and, worst of all, throwing up in her classroom. The responsibilities of an 8-year-old are sometimes daunting, especially in a family that is trying to squeak by while the father goes back to school. But Ramona is full of too much vim and vigor to ever be down for long.

Comment below by Sophie W., 3rd grade

All Alone by Claire Huchet Bishop

1954 Newbery Honor

Marcel has to watch his family's cows. His father tells him to keep to yourself, mind your own business, and nothing else. Then his friend's cows get loose. Marcel helps him.

I thought this book was terrible.

1 star

by Emily S., 5th grade.
Comments below by Jordan S., 3rd grade