And the National Book Award Goes to...

Who knows! I'm not on the jury! 

 That being said, all of the books are intricate, rich, and cover important topics in different and stylistically unique perspectives. Three of the books focus on civil rights in some capacity, one focuses on the environment and threatened animals, and one centres on the rather unique topic of death, head transplants, and getting a second chance at life. All of the contenders this year are strong in my opinion (even though I have heard dissenting opinions on a few of the titles), but eventually one has to win. And so, without further ado, and with the knowledge that I'll probably get it wrong, here's my prediction:



Winner

While I'm sure the majority of people will be assuming Brown Girl Dreaming will win, I am going against that popular opinion here for a few reasons. Even though I can see any number of these winning, I feel that Brown Girl Dreaming doesn't flow as much as Revolution, and I think The Port Chicago Fifty is revelatory, bringing attention to a much-ignored historical event. Sheinkin's text is well-rounded, and the inclusion of archival components, as well as the layout, creates a slightly more coherent feeling. Woodson's novel is verse is wonderful, Wiles' book is incredibly thorough, Whaley's book is fun an quirky, and Schrefer's text is enlightening and engrossing. But I feel that Sheinkin's novel is just slightly more intricate and cohesive. I'm willing to admit that I will probably get this wrong, especially since it's such a great shortlist to begin with, but at the same time I'm still hoping I'm right!

                                                                                                          

Honors




What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Do you vehemently disagree?

Stay tuned for my Governor Generals Award predictions for Children's Text!

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