Newbery/Caldecott 2026 Fall Check-In
It’s been a while since we went over to Goodreads and looked at their 2026 Mock Newbery and Caldecott lists, so let’s take a peek.
As always, it’s important to remember that the lists you are about to see are not in any way official. Since any Goodreads member can vote, they are to be taken with a grain of salt. Consider these the books that readers think might be in the Newbery/Caldecott discussion.
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First up, Newbery. I’ll share the top 5 here, and you can click here for the rest of the list.
This Mock Newbery list has shuffled a bunch since we last looked in May. The biggest changes are The Trouble with Heroes moving from #5 in the spring to #1 now. And Will’s Race for Home entering the top five at #4.
Next up, Caldecott. Click here for the entire list.
Pretty interesting. The two books that remain in the top five from the spring check-in are To See an Owl (#1 in the spring and now) and Our Lake (which was #3 back in the spring). Personally, I suggest you keep a strong eye on Fireworks, as that one and Our Lake are making my Caldecott spidy sense tingle more than most.
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About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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100% agree with you on Fireworks and Our Lake. Those books have the award goods. Fascinating choices overall. Very happy to see Will’s Race for Home doing so well. Talk about an author who has put in the time and effort over the years!
An absurd question, but I’m wondering: Is Cátia Chien, who lives in the US, but is from Brazil, officially eligible to receive a Caldecott award/honor? I know that residency/citizenship has kept some author/illustrators from being eligible for the Newbery and Caldecott awards in the past. Her work is beautiful and worthy of a Caldecott! I just hope she is eligible. Anybody have an answer?
To my knowledge, an illustrator must be a US citizen or resident to be eligible, so I would say yes.