oh, why do I bother?

I'm so tired of the recent arguments about the Newbery awards, but I can't stop reading them. Many critics of the award clearly haven't read the criteria, which is frustrating. But many defenders of the award just don't seem to care that not only are the recent winners unappealing to most kids, but they also aren't the most distinguished books of their year.
Here, let's raise a glass to Avi's Crispin: the Cross of Lead, or the Higher Power of Lucky, or the inexplicable Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!. I've read all three, and I've read the Newbery criteria, many times, and - seriously, there's room for debate here. The recent shifting of the Newbery committee selection, so that more members are appointed than elected, could easily make the problem worse.
And in the meantime, if you've won the Newbery Medal, I'm not sure you're the best person to comment on how valuable the Newbery books are to children. No one is saying that thought-provoking books shouldn't be published. Really.