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Marblehead’a head librarian served as a member of the 2026 Caldecott Selection Committee and visited local classrooms last fall to teach students how to evaluate picture book illustration, and one group of third-graders went on to correctly predict the national award winner.
Kimberly Grad, director of Abbot Public Library, met with all third-grade classes at Brown and Glover elementary schools and students in kindergarten through 4th grade at Tower School. The program gave students a rare insider look at visual storytelling months before the American Library Association announced the official results Jan. 26 in Chicago.
Third-graders at Glover Elementary School voted for “Fireworks,” illustrated by Cátia Chien and written by Matthew Burgess, as their top choice in a Mock Caldecott vote — the same book the national committee selected for the 2026 Caldecott Medal.
“I am thrilled to see that the committee selected ‘Fireworks’ as its winner, which was a favorite of our 3rd-grade students,” said Julia Ferreira, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for Marblehead Public Schools.
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Grad partnered with librarian Janet Mohler and Ferreira to bring the program to Glover, where students analyzed books before casting their official mock votes.
At Tower School, students participated in a “musical books” evaluation session organized by Liz Buchan, head of lower school, and Melissa Upton, librarian and academic technology specialist. Those students selected “Don’t Trust Fish,” written by Neil Sharpson and illustrated by Dan Santat, as their favorite.
“This project has brought so much excitement to our lower school students,” Upton said. “They have been busy writing their own books and some are even asking how to get their books published!”
The committee also named four Caldecott Honor Books: “Every Monday Mabel” by Jashar Awan, “Our Lake” by Angie Kang, “Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave” by Drew Beckmeyer and “Sundust” by Zeke Peña.
“Mock Caldecott votes are always a highlight because students have such a keen eye for detail and storytelling,” Grad said. “It was incredibly rewarding to see them participate so thoughtfully in the process and to treat this like a ‘Red Carpet’ moment for children’s literature.”
Grad has served as director of Abbot Public Library since 2021 after a 17-year career at Brooklyn Public Library. She previously served on the 2022 Newbery Award Selection Committee. She holds a master’s degree in library science from Queens College and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
