Mock Sibert Winners 2026 #SibertSmackdown

The ALA Youth Media Awards are coming on Monday! (Livestream here on Mon 1/26/26 at 10 am CT.) This is the Super Bowl of the kidlit world, when many of the major book awards are announced including the Newbery and Caldecott Awards. Every year, I try to have my students participate in at least one mock awards vote.

The past few years we've enjoyed Melissa Stewart's Sibert Smackdown. The Sibert Medal is for informational fiction (nonfiction), and each year Melissa shares her slate of top books for schools to host their own Mock Sibert voting. In coordination with our school librarian, my 5th graders have spent the past month reading, analyzing, and discussing their favorites among this year's choices.

We added four additional books to Melissa's list in order to get a full slate of 16. Our third graders participated in a bracket-style challenge, while my 5th graders investigated all 16.

We read aloud different books with each class, and it was interesting to see how much the voting was swayed by books we read aloud vs. books the students read and discussed in pairs. 

And the Winners Are ... 

In my first class, the winner was Cassini's Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth written by Katie Venit and illustrated by Julia Blattman! 

Our honor books were...

• Toes, Teeth, and Tentacles: a Curious Counting Book written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

• In the World of Whales written by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Jessica Lanan

• Black Mambas: The World's First All-Woman Anti-Poaching Unit written and photographed by Kelly Crull
   

In my second class, the winner was Black Mambas: The World's First All-Woman Anti-Poaching Unit written and photographed by Kelly Crull!

The honors books were...

• Cassini's Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth written by Katie Venit and illustrated by Julia Blattman

• In the World of Whales written by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Jessica Lanan

• Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit v. Vegetable Showdown written by Lindsay H. Metcalf and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham.

• Back in December, we used the Mock Trial lesson on Lindsay's web site to stage our own Fruit vs. Vegetable showdown, and the kids really had a blast with it! (Spoiler alert: in both our classes, Team Fruit won, contradicting the historical results.) 

Third Grade Bracket Results

Thanks so much to third grade teacher Carol for sharing her student's bracket results. She had each of her classes complete one side of the bracket, then both class's top choice book went head-to-head in a dramatic final vote. 

I love how you can see their careful discussions and tallying across different categories of analysis: information, writing, text features, backmatter, illustration, design, and topic. 

Above is example of the worksheet we used in 5th grade. 

And without further delay, the third grade bracket results ...

• Overall winner: In the World of Whales written by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Jessica Lanan

• Other class winner: Cassini's Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth written by Katie Venit and illustrated by Julia Blattman

• Honor book: Hurricane written and illustrated by Jason Chin

• Honor book: Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins—The First Lady of Children's Music written by Traci N. Todd and illustrated by Eleanor Davis 

Who are your top choices for the awards this year! Share a guess in the comments below!

Want more of my 5th graders' favorite books? Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. 

The Night Ride - book review

"I personally really like this book and recommend it to people who like horses."

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Night Ride

Recommended by Anonymous

My book is The Night Ride by J. Anderson Coats. The Genre is Historical Fiction. The main character Sonnia really wants a horse called Ricochet. Ricochet is moved to the racetrack to be a companion horse of a skittery racehorse. Sonnia goes there and is thrilled to join the a junior racing cadre, but soon she discovers that they are participating in a highly dangerous and illegal Night ride. 

I personally really like this book and recommend it to people who like horses. I rate this book 4.9/5. It was a really good book that I would not have chosen but I really liked it.

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

New Book Alert: A Kid Like Me

I was delighted to receive several advanced copies of books at the NCTE Conference in November. This student was the first to read A Kid like Me by Norm Feuti. Pre-order now for February 2026!

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

A Kid Like Me

Recommended by Anonymous

My book is a graphic novel called A Kid like Me made by Norm Feuti. The main character Ethan is poor so he can’t afford a very old phone, so his mom gets him a retro phone. He is mad that he didn’t get a new phone so he hid it. 

What will he do, and what will happen if anyone figures out he has a retro phone? 

I really like this book, and it is a graphic novel so I read it quicker. It’s a good book for people who like middle school graphic novels like the New Kid series by Jerry Craft.

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

Incredible Magic and Magic School Books for Middle Grade and Middle School

Looking for new book recommendations for the fantasy reader in your life? These are the top magic fantasy books and magic school books in my 5th grade classroom. 

Incredible Magic and Magic School Books for Middle Grade and Middle School

Lei and the Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea. Hawaiian legends meet real life when you anger Pele, the fire goddess! Action-packed adventure and excitement. 

Nic Black and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas. Nic thought she knew what it meant to be Remarkable in an Unremarkable world, until a shocking series of revelations upend everything she thought she knew. Hilarious and suspenseful - and bonus baby hellhound. (Book two now available!) 

Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije. Shad has never quite fit in, but he didn't realize it might be because his baba was an alchemist---and he's one too! But when he arrives at Alexander Academy, it is not the warm welcome he expected. Facing suspicion can Shad rescue his friends and prove his worth?

Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon. Lia Park thought she had overprotective parents. She didn't realize that sneaking out would trigger an ancient protection spell that *might* have been protecting her whole family and the world from evil. Friendship and courage meet Korean mythology in this action-packed series. (Book two also available!)

Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu. No one pays any attention to Marya until the sorcerers come to test her brother's magic skills. Then Marya finds herself shipped off to the faraway Dragomir Academy for other troublesome girls like herself. But they soon discover that more may be going on underneath the surface...

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston. Amari does not believe her brother Quinton is truly gone. And when a ticking suitcase appears with a mysterious invitation, Amari thinks she's found her first clue. This action-packed series has tons of sibling and friendship drama plus supernatural characters and situations. (Book four arrives in February 2026!) 

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton. Ella is the first Conjurer to attend the prestigious Arcanum Training Institute and adjusting is proving harder than she expected. When she is suspected of a treacherous crime, Ella must find a way to clear her name and rescue her teacher. (Book four drops in August 2026!) 

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix. (British cover shown above.) Adia is an orphan in a tough situation, so she jumps at the opportunity to attend the Academy of Shamans. But as she starts to discover where true evil lies, she will need all the skills and friends she can get!

Did I miss a favorite of yours? Share in the comments below!

Looking for more middle grade? Check out #iLoveMG for all my 5th graders' book reviews. 

5th grade book recommendation: A Rover's Story

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

A Rover's Story

Recommended by Felix

My book is called A Rover’s Story and it is about a Mars Rover that is named Resilience and his nickname is Res. What is different about this rover is that he has emotions and when another rover who is the exact same model as he is, Res is not sure of himself and does not know if his emotion are a good or bad thing. When he starts to talk to his drone named Fly he is assured that his emotions will serve him well and feels comforted. 

But when he is shot into space and he lands he now know how it feels to be terrified, angered, and shocked. I think this is a great book because Res learns what it means to be family and that he does not need to prove himself beyond the point of one scientific breakthrough. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes family and adventure. Definitely 10/5 stars.

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

Review: Out of the Dust

This is part of my continuing series, #iLoveMG , where I share middle grade books that my fifth graders recommend. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) Or check out #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Out of the Dust

Recommended by Anonymous

My book is called Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse and the genre is historical fiction. It’s also a novel in verse. The book is about a girl named Billie Joe, who is living in Oklahoma during the dust bowl. 

 

Billie Joe is currently living with her father and her pregnant mother. Her favorite thing to do is to play the piano. She survives a terrible accident, but no longer can she play the piano’s brilliant keys. She is scarred inside and out, and to make matters worse, her father’s farm is fading, and soon enough, gone. 

 

This book is a great book if you like novels in verse that are sad, touching, and will melt your heart. I loved this book so much that I couldn’t put it down. It teaches you empathy, and makes you feel pity for Billie Joe, and everyone else who lived in the dust bowl. 

 

I rate this book 5/5 stars, because it’s very sad, yet it was written with a lot of imagery, and hope.

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

Lalani of the Distant Sea book recommendation

"Lalani of the Distant Sea is definitely the best book club book I have ever read..."

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Lalani of the Distant Sea

Recommended by Elsa

My book is called Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly, and the genre is high fantasy. This book is about a twelve-year-old girl named Lalani. It takes place on an island called Sanlagita, where the best sailors make the daring journey to Mount Isa on a day called Sailing Day. 

 

But when her mother pricks her finger and gets mender’s disease, Lalani finds a legendary mountain beast, and Sanlagita floods, she must leave and venture to the island of Mount Isa to save them all. 

Lalani of the Distant Sea is definitely the best book club book I have ever read. I really like how it transitions from Lalani’s point of view to other points of view, like when it was from Bai Vinca’s point of view. (I probably shouldn’t say any more about other characters in case I spoil it.) (A big shout-out to Erin Entrada Kelly.) This book is AMAZING!!! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, suspense, and that in-the-middle-of-the-sea vibe. I would definitely rate this book five out of five stars!

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?