Betsy Bird, author, blogger, and NYPL children’s librarian extraordinaire, visited the Saint Ann’s Mock Newbery Committee on Friday, October 17, to talk about her experience on the 2007 Newbery Committee and make predictions for this year’s Newbery award. More than thirty Saint Ann’s 4th, 5th, and 6th graders were joined by the Mock Newbery group from Brooklyn Heights Montessori as we welcomed Betsy and talked about our own favorite Newbery contenders for the year. Betsy’s picks: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier, West of the Moon by Margi Preus, and The Riverman by Aaron Starmer. Or could this be the first year a graphic novel wins? Betsy says El Deafo has a shot. Our picks: We’ll let you know in November!