From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 08:51:59 -0600

I think your observation perhaps says more about Barnes & Noble and the other large chain book stores than it does about the award books. As a customer, I would never have expected to find a book like "Criss Cross" at B&N prior to it winning the Newbery, simply because the stock of new hardcover fiction is so limited. I did, however, find it months ago while browsing at one of our local independent bookstores and, since I had heard good things about it from colleagues who had already read it, I bought it.
 
"Criss Cross" got starred reviews in just about every professional journal, and was on several of the annual best books lists, including SLJ, Kirkus, Horn Book Fanfare, and the Book Sense Picks from the Independent Booksellers Association. Anyone who was surprised that it won the Newbery Medal has not been paying attention.
 
  KTH
 
  Kathleen T. Horning, Director Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706
  horning at education.wisc.edu Voice: 608-263-3721 Fax: 608-262-4933 www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/

 
>>> Meghan McCarthy <meghanmccarthy007 at yahoo.com> 01/25/06 1:59 PM >>>

I'm wondering why this is. My point, to some degree, can be proven by going to a large chain such as B&N. At the B&N I work at, we never seem to have the Newbery winners when they're announced but always have at least a few copies of the Caldecotts on hand. Do the Caldecott winners usually have a bit more marketing muscle? It seems that many of the Newberys never have that same popularity prior to being picked.
Received on Fri 27 Jan 2006 08:51:59 AM CST