Reviewing past winners

Before the preliminary reading list for the mock awards is posted on June 29,  we will review some of the past Newbery winners and honorees.   We hope to generate discussion about what the qualities are that make a book distinguished.  Some of the questions we'll  grapple with are: Why do certain genres win more than others, and why are "popular" books not award-prone?  When does contemporary or realistic fiction become historical fiction, and when did you feel that a book was unfairly ignored or passed over?   So take a seat, tuck in your napkins and get ready while we serve up a slice or two of Newbery pie.