Join 2017 Newbery Award committee member Gene Nelson for a preconference on everything Newbery. Learn about the history of the oldest and most prestigious children’s book award in the world. Discuss the selection criteria and the processes of the deliberations of the committee. Discover the responses of the 2017 award winners and the important early Monday morning phone call that changes authors’ lives. Gene will also discuss the award winners and present his favorite 40 books of the year. Come for a fun filled afternoon full of insight into the awarding of the best book of the year.