I’m finally getting back into the spirit of checking end-of-year-booklists. NYPL’s is always a solid and thoughtfully curated list. I spent some time at Madison’s Central Public Library on Wednesday to get some work done (check my most recent book review) and talked to one of their selectors (Jody) to see if she has any favorites for the ALA Youth Media Awards in January. We had a really nice convo about how our picks rarely match the committees’ and they rarely align with what kids like…I agree. The winners each year are what those 9-15 people on each committee view as best. I either read or heard this perspective from a past book committee member and it stuck with me because it’s true. We do our best and lean into the books that move us the most, with kid’s sensibilities and passions in mind, and sometimes they align with educators, caregivers, and kids picks and sometimes they don’t. This is a big reason why I love following Mock Book Awards. You can view submitted ALA Mock results here and if you would like to submit mock results from your community/classroom, you can do that here!