Newbery/Caldecott 2026 Spring Check-In

Every year, readers head over to Goodreads to vote for the books they think are deserving of Newbery or Caldecott medals. I like to take the occasional peek to see which books are rising to the top. It’s not any sort of official list, but it can be a good place to spot books that might be in consideration.

Did I mention you need to take this list with a grain of salt? Because you need to take this list with a grain of salt – any Goodreads user can vote.

First up, Newbery. I’ll show the Top 5 here and you can click here to see the whole list.

Adam Gidwitz always seems to be a fan favorite – his books are often near the top of these Goodreads mock lists. He’s also a past Newbery Honor winner, so folks are always taking special note of his new releases. Laurie Halse Anderson is a legend who has won Printz, but never Newbery. And Kate Messner is a writing machine (I count at least 5 books out in 2025) – will this be her year for Newbery?

Okay, on to Caldecott. I’ll share the Top 5, and you can click here to see the rest.

Matthew Cordell tops this list, which is no surprise. They guy is bound to receive more Caldecott recognition at some point. The book that most stands out to me on this list is Papilio, which is illustrated by THREE people: Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser. Off the top of my head, I can name a couple duo Caldecott winners – the Provensens, the Dillons – but there has never been a trio winner. That would be pretty cool, actually.

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