Listen. Connect. Empower.

 While I have done many Mock Caldecotts over the years, I had never done a Sibert Smackdown. This seemed to be the perfect year to introduce this as I focus my time and energy on nonfiction.  As I write this 4 months into the school year, over 50% of read alouds are nonfiction (I am auditing this), and I am about 85% of the way through reorganizing the nonfiction section for easier browsing.  Melissa Stewart's article about nonfiction's image problem resonated with me and inspired me to focus my school year on nonfiction and how I put it in the hands of my students. A group examines their book in preparation to assess it  Reading and thinking about the contenders I chose the theme of “animals” to tie things together (although the “ducks” aren’t exactly alive…)  I wanted to look at different kinds of nonfiction books (without getting too into the weeds) and chose these books for our Smackdown: 2023 Sibert Smackdown contestants I created a series of four questions for students t