Mock Caldecott 2026 discussion

I'm wondering if anyone runs a Mock Caldecott exclusively in library? I'm trying to figure out how to make it work with only 30 minutes a week for the analyzing/reading time available during class. Any thoughts?

I do, with first grade. It is hard in their short library time, but it's been successful. I start with showing them some past winners--some of my favorites, the previous year's, and maybe the one from the year they were born. Then I show them some of the nominees for the mock award. We read a few, I show them the illustrator's other work, I tell them how the illustrations were made. Then I put them all out on a table and let them vote. I try to time this so we vote right before the announcement of the new winner. I share this info with them--we're all thrilled when one of our favorites wins. We start this right after Christmas, and try to wrap up around announcement time, maybe a week after.

I do with 2nd and 3rd grade. I will start on December 2nd. I chose 12 books. I split the kids into groups of three and each group looks at 3 books per class. I read one of the 12 aloud to the entire class to get us started. I also try to find a book trailer of one to show them as well. The students vote each week via survey monkey. When the actual winner is announced we have a big ice cream celebration and watch the announcement together. The kids really get excited about this!

Thanks Debbie and Karen for your ideas. I've also contacted my local public librarian and she's going to round me up extra copies...since most of the titles I've picked our schools don't have yet. Debbie can you tell me which template yup use in survey monkey? Any tallying I don't have to do would be great!

I make my own survey - I'll be happy to send you a link as soon as I am finished (hopefully this week!). You are welcome to use it by changing my choices for yours. Have you made up your nomination list yet?

That would be great! It's easier to get ideas for tweaking when modeling after someone else. Do you have your kids vote each week, so you can winnow down the nominees? Yes, I've got my list pretty much finalized, but I'm waiting until I talk with my public librarian so that I know what she can get her hands on for me.

I hope you included Aviary Wonders Inc. It's the perfect book for that age group and great to inspire their creativity and interest in birds, nature, and ecology...

Aviary Wonders is the book I have been raving about! So beautiful! So strange! So funny! So imaginative! And on and on... I certainly hope it wins something, but it going to be a challenge to find the best group to market it to.