Here are a few of the Newbery Medal winners that I have read and probably won’t reread as they are still pretty fresh in my mind. So, I’ll cross them off the list of books to read.

1978 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
This really is a timeless book that reaches beyond the year it was published making it a true classic. Paterson’s own son lost a friend who was struck and killed by lightning at age 8. Trying to make sense of this tragedy she wrote Bridge to Terabithia. Sad and misunderstood, Jesse Aarons befriends his new neighbour, tomboyish Leslie Burke. She is lively, artistic and has the most incredible imagination. The two bond over a magical place they create. Both are artistic and outside the realm of “fitting in” at school. It is a wonderful story full of friendship, imagination and heartache.

1991 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
This story reads like a folk tale. Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee must be a maniac says the people of his home town. He can outrun dogs, hit amazing home runs and untie any knot. He runs away from his loveless aunt and uncle and endures racism and many trials until finding somewhere he can finally call home.

1994 The Giver by Lois Lowry
In a beautiful Utopia, no one feels pain or is sick. There is no war. Everyone is chosen for a particular job and the community runs smoothly. At age 12 Jonas is chosen for the job of Giver. As he is being trained, one begins to see that the giver is almost a Christ-like figure who endures all the pain and memories for the people. He begins to see through his training, that by giving up pain, sickness etc… the people have also given up what it means to be human. A fantastic dystopian novel The Giver, prepares young adults for similar novels, Brave New World, 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale.