Being a Children’s Librarian is amazing work and a job that I truly cherish!  Every day is a new experience as children and families are welcomed in our libraries, and we meet with teachers and students in local schools.  Through library programs and services, children and the adults in their lives are connected with great books that can teach, inspire and amaze.

This past year, I was honored to participate on the 2018 Newbery Medal Selection Committee.  The Newbery is awarded each year “by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children” (ala.org).

The 2018 Newbery Medal Winner is Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly.  A book of friendships, bravery and a little luck from the universe itself.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to read this book, check it out today!

In addition to the Newbery Medal Winner, there were three Newbery Honor Books selected this year.  They include Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds and Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson.  All of these books are amazing reads!

Experience a young boy’s haircut like no other in Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, a decision faced by a teen whether or not to take revenge on the guy who killed his brother in Long Way Down and Jade’s compelling journey through issues of race, class and gender in Piecing Me Together.

These award winning books will always be near and dear to my heart, and I look forward to sharing them with youth for many, many years!  The Newbery Awards have been around since 1922.  If you’re up for a challenge, you can read them all!

Mary Beth is the Children’s Services Coordinator at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. She enjoys reading, walking and gardening. If you pull up beside her in your car, you may see her singing, unless she is listening to an audio book.