Back in February the 2017 Newbery Awards were announced.

The Newbery Medal winner was The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. You can see my review in my post 2017 Newbery Medal Winner.

The first Newbery Honor book that I read was The Inquisitors Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Dog by Adam Gidwitz.

I was able to get this book right away as the library already had copies in their system. I really enjoyed reading this book as it had underlying religious and historical themes. I also really enjoyed the illustrations, or rather illuminations by Hatem Aly.  This was a great story along with an interesting look into 13th century France.

I had to wait awhile for the library to receive and process their order for Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk.

I really enjoyed this book and it would have been my pick of the 2017 Newbery books to be the Medal winner.

The book is set in a rural area of Pennsylvania just after World War II. A young girl deals with another girl who not only bullies her but also a reclusive veteran of the Great War (WWI). The book is a great read, but is a bit dark and sad at times. However, it shows how a young person who takes a stand for something can make a big difference in the lives of others.

This week the last of the books arrived at the library. Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan is wonderfully illustrated and gives a glimpse into the life of eleven slaves of the Fairchilds estate.

The characters in the book are based off of historical documents, but only their names and how much they are worth are known from them. Ashley Bryan brings them to life by placing them in roles that were typical for the size of the Fairchild estate.  She then gives them a voice as they describe themselves and their dreams.

Overall a good group of Newbery books for 2017. I enjoyed reading all of them.

Have you read any of these?

Steven