Mock Newbery Madness

So, for the first time, I'm running a Mock Newbery group at a public library. The members of the group are 6-10 graders who volunteer for hours earned. I started with two separate groups this summer with around 8-10 teens and I'm ending the Fall with 16 teens. We voted for our short list last week and will be discussing and choosing our winners on December 13.

Here's our list! After the vote I'll post again with everyone's responses.

The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish
Following a tragic accident involving his best friend, Ethan and his family move from Boston to the Gulf coast of Georgia to live with a grandfather he has never met in a small town he has never visited. Through a series of mysteries, Ethan faces what happened, makes a new friend, and discovers strengths he never knew he possessed.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
When Starr's childhood friend is shot and killed by a police officer in a random stop, she must confront racism in a way she never has before, as well as deal with her own place as a minority student at a private, mostly white school 45 minutes from her neighborhood. She must decide whether she will testify, who she can trust and how she will make a difference in the community.

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder
On the island, everything is provided and the nine children live in perfect harmony. Every year the oldest one leaves and a new young one arrives in the boat. This year Jinny is the oldest and, while she misses her friend Deen, she thinks she is ready to be the Elder. But what will happen when it is her turn to leave?

Restart by Gordon Korman
When Chase falls off the roof and hits his head, he loses his memory. As he tries to return to school and life, he discovers that he wasn't a very nice person. Now he has to decide if he wants to return and remember who he was or decide to begin as a new and better person? And what if everyone else doesn't want to accept the new Chase?

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
Alex loves space, rockets and his dog, Carl Sagan; and he has decided to record a Golden iPod and launch it into space on a rocket for aliens to find. But his destination and purpose keep changing and what started as a simple mission changes into a discovery about himself and his family.

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

Harper's family moves to a new house that seems to be haunted and she's also missing some memories after a fire at her old school. When her little brother starts acting weird and mean, she seeks help in some unlikely ways.

The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli
Cammie and her dad live in the women's prison where he works. But since her mother died when she was a baby, Cammie feels like she must find her own "mother" and her choices are among the inmates of the prison. Will she find someone by her thirteenth birthday?