Will some
of these books be named on Monday, January 25, 2021, when the Sibert
Medal committee announces its winner and honor titles at the ALA
Youth Media Awards ceremony? Who
knows, but I do have a pretty good track record. 

You
may also want to consider titles on the Mock Sibert list created  Anderson’s Bookshop, which includes picture books as well as middle grade titles. The last
time I looked, they hadn’t posted this year’s list yet, but keep checking the
link.

After
reading your Mock Sibert titles, students choose their two favorites
and use this worksheet, which you can download from my website, to evaluate and compare
the books before they vote. The worksheet features a kid-friendly version of
the criteria used by the real Sibert committee.

I also suggest using the guidelines developed by former Sibert judge
Melody Allen. They are available here, here, and here.

I And I’d recommend reading this post, which describes how some educators have
modified or enhanced the Sibert Smackdown! in the past. It’s so important
to create learning experiences that are perfect for
your particular students. 

I’d love to hear how your students are
progressing, and so would other participating teachers and librarians. Please
use the Twitter hashtag #SibertSmackdown to share what you are doing.

Happy Reading!