Newbery Buzz 2026: The Song of the Stone Tiger by Glenn McCarty

January brings children’s literature award fervor to a fever pitch as we anticipate the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards at the end of the month. We don’t know what the actual Newbery Committee will be discussing as potential contenders, but we love picking some books we think have possibilities and virtually discussing their merits (or de-merits). To see the rest of our discussions from previous years, visit our Newbery Buzz home page.

First up for 2026: Betsy and Hayley discuss The Song of the Stone Tiger by Glenn McCarty (read our review here).

HAYLEY: Hey Betsy! You and I both have read Glenn McCarty’s The Song of the Stone Tiger.  We decided it would be fun to pick this as a dark horse Newbery contender. 

First, for our readers who haven’t seen your review, I love how you sum up the story: “Magical woods, fairy stories, music, and sacrificial friendship offer Thomas and a stone tiger hope as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” 

I think you capture the complexity of the story; I love also how McCarty grounds it in an American summer. It’s a summer story, but like The Season of Styx Malone, or some of the Penderwicks stories, it’s not just a light summer story, there’s more going on. 

What books does it remind you of? Any prior Newbery medals? 

BETSY:  Ooh, you know the first book it reminded me of was Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and, perhaps even more, Starry River of the Sky because both have a tiger in them [note to self: REVIEW THIS ALREADY]! Many have compared this book to the likes of Narnia or other well-known fantasy books, but the way McCarty weaves folklore in with the regular story, the quest narrative, the rather sobering realities at home… all of that reminded me of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon more (and many of Grace Lin’s books). And Mountain earned a Newbery Honor. It also reminds me of books like Bridge to Terebithia, another book that uses imagination to help children cope with terrible things (note to readers: no one dies in The Song of the Stone Tiger). 

What about you, Hayley? What does it remind you of? 

HAYLEY: I think the way McCarty blends contemporary America with fantasy is a bit like N. D. Wilson in the 100 Cupboards series, but unlike Wilson, his stories-within-stories are fable-like. I think the setting also reminded me a bit of Jonathan Roger’s Wilderking Books, though I have to admit, I haven’t read the whole series!  

As for the story, that definitely reminded me of C. S. Lewis’s Narnia, with elements of Magician’s Nephew as well as the liveliness that you find later in the series: Aslan’s game of tag with the girls, Trumpkin grumbling about apples … McCarty captures some of that delightful, fantastical wimsey that is laced with deeper truth.  

BETSY: Hayley, you were delighted to hear that I was giving this a starred review. What were your first impressions of the story? What did you love about it? 

HAYLEY: My first impressions were a little uncertain. What was going on? What kind of story was I in for … was there going to be a portal? What was happening with this family?  But as the story continued, I loved the warmth of the family and the way stories were nestled within the narrative. (Those silly trolls!) As I mentioned above, I found myself thinking of Narnia, but this time without a British element. 

Now the big question, do you think it might get some Newberry love?  

BETSY: Frankly, Hayley, I don’t think the official Newbery committee will give this one some love. Part of that is simply that it’s from a small publisher and may or may not even make it into the committee’s hands. I’ll acknowledge, though, that there are a few slight editorial issues that would also be scrutinized by the official committee. For me, someone who grew up around the North Carolina mountains, I never heard them referred to as the “Appalachians” with the “n” on the end. It was the “Appalachias.” To be sure, that’s a colloquial/regional thing (even within North Carolina), but it was enough to draw me out of the story at the beginning. Those sorts of tiny details can knock a book to honor or below because the committee is looking at SO many wonderful stories – they have to get really nitpicky sometimes. I know you picked up on a couple of minor things. What was one of them? 

HAYLEY: As a midwestern, I missed the Appalachias, but I did notice a little incongruity – the house seems both a childhood home of his mother, but it’s also a home his aunt purchased. It was a small thing, but it didn’t quite match and left me wondering if it was a mistake? But, like you said, these are small incongruities; overall, this is such a great story. And, can we just say, it is SO nice to have a story with a boy protagonist! While girls could enjoy it, I’m thankful for a new book to recommend to middle grade boys. Betsy, I’m going to let you finish with one more question. You’ve written different portraits of readers … what kind of middle grade reader is going to enjoy this book? 

BETSY: Great question, Hayley. This one is definitely for the “nurturer” type of reader: kids who are looking for feel-good stories that have good endings and show families loving and supporting one another. A lot happens in this book, but those who enjoy quieter stories will find the pacing just right.

I do hope the Newbery committee awards a small publisher one of these days. We’re seeing more and more quality small presses pop up, so perhaps it won’t be too long before a Newbery winner or honor is from a publisher like Bandersnatch.

Readers, we’d love to know: what books to YOU think have a chance at this year’s Newbery? (Members, log-in to leave a comment!)