My fan post to Kelly Barnhill

Kelly Barnhill probably doesn't remember meeting me at the Princeton Book Festival this past September.  She was sitting behind a table among the swarms of authors, illustrators and other swooning book fans like myself. I went up to her nervously and told her that she was going to win the Newbery award.  She smiled nicely, disagreed kindly and proceeded to sign my book and take a picture with me.  I was so confident she was going to win that when my son asked for a copy of the book, I gave in and bought two.  I wanted my own copy signed to me by the future Newbery winner. (Sounds like I should go to Vegas, huh?!)

We spent a lot of time with this book from late Fall-early Winter.  It's all here.  The lucky book group members to book trailers with moon drinks to letters that lead to a Skype and more.  It's so exciting to love a book so much and then watch it win the Newbery Award.  CES loves Kelly and looks forward to one day breaking out our red carpet for another award winning author!

In Which the CES Newbery Project began

It's November 1, 2016 and we kicked off Newbery.  Every fifth grader received a pamphlet with "buzzing" books listed.  What book did I put in my column with the most "buzz"?  Check it out:

In Which we had a Book Group

Mr. Reischer loves fantasy so even though I really wanted to lead The Girl Who Drank the Moon book group, I gave it to him.  I know he was excited to read fantasy with kids.  I love seeing the kids thrilled to read no matter what book it is.  The kids in this book group got lucky--each one of them went home with a poster thanks to Kelly's publicist at Algonquin.  Thank you, Trevor!

Here's the poster in the top left hanging in our "Newbery Nook"

The lucky "Girl Who Drank the Moon" book group with their posters!

In Which we created Animotos

Ashlyn (the girl in the striped shirt above and the one I couldn't stop hugging at the YMA announcements) and her partner, Liam, chose to do this book for their Animoto book trailer project. Even though they left out some parts and my favorite characters, Glerk and Fyrian, I hope it will still get you interested in reading the book, if you haven't already!

At the Animoto party, Ashlyn brought in "moon drinks" and "moons" as book related refreshments.

Two other students also did an Animoto which touched on a few other aspects of the book.

In Which we wrote letters Lead to the Author

Here are some excerpts from the letters students wrote to Kelly (I couldn't include the whole letters because they had spoilers in them):

In Which we Skyped with Kelly

In Which we took a leap with Kelly

In Which we performed a Reader's Theatre

If you'd like to see the video of their Reader's Theatre, let me know.  It's was too big to upload. Here's a picture of the group:

In Which we CELEBRATED!

Except for Kelly and the folks at Algonquin, I can't imagine if anyone else was as excited as we were when we watched the Newbery Award announced.  For over two months, these kids spent so much time with Luna, Xan, Glerk, Fyrian, the madwoman, Antain, the Sorrow Eater and all the other characters, how could we not leap and scream and scream and hug and leap when the book we championed from Day One received its well deserved gold sticker.

I know I posted this video already but I just love it so much. OMG! A book we loved won!

"Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it isn't there.  Some of the most wonderful things in the world are invisible.  Trusting in invisible things makes them more powerful and wondrous.  You'll see."

-Kelly Barnhill from The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The American Library Association's Youth Media Award selection process is invisible to us. We trusted in the invisible process and now so many more young people will have the opportunity to meet the characters we laughed and cried with, supported and cheered for, but most importantly just plain loved.

"Sometimes people are more than one thing.  I am Glerk.  I am your friend.  I am Luna's family.  I am a Poet.  I am a maker.  And I am the Bog. But to you, I am simply Glerk.  Your Glerk.  And I do love you very much."

-Glerk to Fyrain in The Girl Who Drank the Moon

And Kelly we love you for writing such a beautiful and magical story that we couldn't put down from Day 1. Congratulations!