The end of last week I saw some kids’ librarian folks on twitter talking about “#nerdcott” and decided to check it out. I followed the twitter trail to this post by LibLaura5, describing a challenge she was setting to read ALL of the Caldecott winners (not just the medalists, but honors too!). Well, I love a good (do-able) challenge, so I decided that I’m in! I’m pretty knowledgeable about winners and honors from the last 15-or-so years (or at least the last 12 years that I’ve been working as a librarian), but the early years? Not so much. Did you know that the Caldecott Medal was first awarded in 1938? And that there are over 300 Caldecott medalists and honor books?
I’d better get crackin’. The best thing about Laura’s challenge is that THERE ARE NO RULES. You don’t have to read the books in any particular order (which is good because some of them we have in the library, and some I will have to request from other libraries or ILL). You don’t have to set a time limit, if you don’t want to. So, my personal goal is to simply READ THEM ALL. Preferrably this year.
I’ve already started from the bottom up; again, not in order, but that’s how I’m keeping track: I’m ordering the books from the earlier years first and reading them as they come in. I read Andy and the Lion and Barkis this morning, and have Wee Gillis, Abraham Lincoln, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves on my desk. I probably won’t review all of them here as I really only like to write reviews of books that a) I love and b) feel inspired to write about.
Wanna challenge yourself? Get the full list of Caldecott Medal and Honor books. If you have a blog and want to indicate your participation, Laura has made an icon available. And remember, if you tweet, don’t forget to add the hashtag #nerdcott so we can all enjoy each other’s company!
missmaryliberry.com 
Thanks, Ashley! Good luck on the challenge! I had a good spurt for a week or so but have slacked off a bit. Now that a bunch of the older titles have come in via ILL and our co-operative borrowing system, I have to get on it again!
I just came across your blog and I love it! I am a soon-to-be elementary school teacher obsessed with children’s literature! I would love to eventually be a librarian, or if I love my own classroom too much.. I will just spread my love of great literature with my students! I have a blog that I am working on updating more regularly (Confessions of a Children’s Lit Junkie) and came across the Caldecott Challenge via your blog. I have actually been working on this since November and haven’t gotten very far in between reading all the other books on my list. So, I decided to join in on the fun!
http://thechildrensbookaholic.blogspot.com/
Ashley