The
Sibert Smackdown is an activity intended to build enthusiasm for the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal,
which is given each year as part of the American Library Association’s
annual Youth Media Awards. It focuses on picture books because they are more
manageable to read in a school setting.
Here’s how it works. Students in grades 3-8 read the nonfiction picture
books on your class’s Mock Sibert list. You can use the list I’ve compiled
below or you can create your own list. My list includes titles that have strong
kid appeal, will promote good discussions, and can be used as mentor texts
in writing workshop. They reinforce the research techniques and craft moves
included in most State ELA standards.
of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me by Susan
L. Roth
Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallwark, illustrated by Katy Wu
in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live by Lita Judge
The
Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown by
Mac Barnett,
illustrated by Sarah Jacoby
Libraries, Big Heroes by Miranda Paul,
illustrated by John Parra
America: A Fold-out Graphic History by Sarah
Albee, illustrated by William Exley
Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong,
Immigrant and Artist by Julie
Leung, illustrated by Chris Sasaki
Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Two
Brothers, Four Hands by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Hadley
Hooper
Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature by Marcie
Flinchum Atkins
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.
consider titles on the Mock Sibert list created by Alyson Beecher. Anderson’s Bookshop creates a Mock Sibert list that
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.
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 critera used by the real Sibert committee.
former Sibert judge Melody Allen. They are available here,
here,
and here.
learning experiences that are perfect for your particular students.
so would other participating teachers and librarians. Please use the Twitter
hashtag #SibertSmackdown to share what you are doing.
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5 Responses
Thrilled to see North America included on this list! Thanks Melissa.
So many great books here! So hard to smack any of them down, LOL. But kids love this!
Woo hoo! Thank you for this!
This is awesome! I normally do a Mock Caldecott with my second graders and they absolutely love it, I am thinking of doing this with fourth grade. Thank you so much for the resources!
What a great selection!