Battle Commander

For those of you at Midwinter,we were planning to have our first ever BoB/Heavy Medal Meet-Up at the Marriott Hotel’s Circ at 5PM on Saturday, January 25th. However, that doesn’t seem workable for many (notably DaNae whose idea it was and we want to come for sure). So now we have a new plan — to [...]

ALL THE TRUTH THAT’S IN ME by Julie Berry THE ANIMAL BOOK by Steve Jenkins BOXERS AND SAINTS by Gene Yang A CORNER OF WHITE by Jaclyn Moriarty DOLL BONES by Holly Black ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell FAR FAR AWAY by Tom McNeal FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo HOKEY POKEY by Jerry [...]

The opening post kicks off SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books, the sixth edition of the annual event, a competition among 16 of the best children's books of the year, judged by some of the biggest authors in the industry.

NO CRYSTAL STAIR BY VAUNDA MICHEAUX NELSON published by CarolRhoda Books/ Lerner SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

NO CRYSTAL STAIR BY VAUNDA MICHEAUX NELSON published by CarolRhoda Books/ Lerner SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

  Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein Hyperion/Disney The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Dutton/Penguin No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Judged by Frank Cottrell Boyce

I agreed to be the Big Kahuna because I believe in saying yes to any invitation that doesn’t involve crime, betrayal or heights. I thought it would be good to be forced to read books I wouldn’t normally read. I completely forgot – as I worked my way through the entire list – that it would involve me JUDGING one of those books.  My children could have told you that when it comes to judgement I don’t have any.  Or mine is wired up differently from everyone else’s. You can guarantee that if I think a book or film is the worst thing ever,  history will reveal that it to be s a timeless classic. If I love something to distraction,  you will shortly find it in the remaindered section.  I hope this fact is of some comfort to the losers here today and to the winner, all I can say is,  I love you – which is probably not a good thing.

G K Chesteron said of St. Francis “his life was a riot of rash promises which somehow turned out alright.”  Here’s hoping that my rash promise to judge this competition turns out alright.

Other Big Kahunas have complained that it’s near impossible to judge between finalists because they’re so diverse it’s “like judging between apples and whipped …

» Continue Reading: The Big Kahuna Match: Between The Fault in Our Stars, No Crystal Stair, and Code Name Verity

 

 

We are particularly excited to hear about those who have or are considering using the Battle with students. Say Texas librarian Donna Steel Cook who gets her whole high school involved. Read more in “Texas High School Celebrates Battle of the Books“.

“March Madness” has taken on a secondary meaning in rural Pollok, TX, where 423 high school students have been closely watching, rooting for, and predicting the winners of a unique elimination contest this month—not basketball, but books. Under the direction of Donna Steel Cook,district library director and high school teacher-librarian, Pollok’s Central High School has incorporated School Library Journal ‘s fifth annual Battle of the Kids’ Books (BOB) into an engaging program to support reading.

And Librarian’s Quest who considered that:

As the weeks have passed so too has the School Library Journal’s Battle of the Kids’ Books.  Even though the end is getting closer it still might be fun to do this with students after it’s over to see how they vote as opposed to the judges’ decisions.  School Library Journal has provided a page of downloadable graphics to use in designing your own brackets.  Each match appears as a PDF file.

 

If there are others out there, please let us know!

As to other things, please don’t miss our Battle Pinterest board filled with lots of cool stuff.

There’s Liz B on Bomb v Code Name Verity, Endangered v Stars, Sky v Glooms,  Seraphina v Star, Round 3, Match 1, …

» Continue Reading: This Week’s Peanut Gallery

   

We are particularly excited to hear about those who have or are considering using the Battle with students. Say Texas librarian Donna Steel Cook who gets her whole high school involved. Read more in "Texas High School Celebrates Battle of the Books".

“March Madness” has taken on a secondary meaning in rural Pollok, TX, where 423 high school students have been closely watching, rooting for, and predicting the winners of a unique elimination contest this month—not basketball, but books. Under the direction of Donna Steel Cook,district library director and high school teacher-librarian, Pollok’s Central High School has incorporated School Library Journal ‘s fifth annual Battle of the Kids’ Books (BOB) into an engaging program to support reading.

And Librarian's Quest who considered that:

As the weeks have passed so too has the School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books.  Even though the end is getting closer it still might be fun to do this with students after it's over to see how they vote as opposed to the judges' decisions.  School Library Journal has provided a page of downloadable graphics to use in designing your own brackets.  Each match appears as a PDF file.

  If there are others out there, please let us know! As to other things, please don't miss our Battle Pinterest board filled with lots of cool stuff.

There's Liz B on Bomb v Code Name Verity, Endangered v Stars, Sky v Glooms,  Seraphina v Star, Round 3, Match 1, and Round 3, Match 2.

Judge of Judges Sutton takes on Napoli v, Leavitt and Lai v. Griffin

The Card Catalog weighs in on Lows and Highs..., Lots of Sighs....

Book Nut considers Week 3 and Week 3 (Part 2).

Random Musings of a Bilbiophile thinks about The Final Four and The Finals.

Sondy's got  strong views of Round Two and The Big Kahuna Approaches.

One of our contenders, The Fault in Our Stars, after a very contentious Zombie Round in The Tournament of Books (the tourney for adult literature that inspired the BoB), made it to the finals.

Some of this week's tweets:

• Lauren T. ‏@thebestblt The finest library in all the land is featured today on http://battleofthebooks.slj.com/ ! #sljbob
• Eliot Schrefer ‏@EliotSchrefer I'm honored to have "come up against a John Green book in a dark alley." Beautiful analysis, MLeavitt & @sljbob ! http://bit.ly/YrXkxU 
• Reads for Keeps ‏@reads4keeps What book would be intimidating in a dark alley? Today's #sljbob match at http://blogs.slj.com/battleofthebooks/2013/03/25/round-2-match-2-endangered-vs-the-fault-in-our-stars/ …
• Heather Alexander ‏@HeatherAlexand Paul Griffin, the papier mache trophy is worth more than any amount of snickers. @sljournal @SLJsBoB @sdiaz101 pic.twitter.com/2Niy73Dwku
• Kathy Ishizuka ‏@kishizuka This was hard - but I'm happy - Round 3, Match 1: Bomb vs The Fault in Our Stars http://ow.ly/juGX3  #sljbob
• Brandy ‏@brandymuses Okay #sljbob, unless Code Name Verity (or some other favorite) wins the Undead I'm through caring about you http://battleofthebooks.slj.com/ 
• Reads for Keeps ‏@reads4keeps One of us is in mourning; the other is ecstatic-->how #sljbob determines our morning mood http://blogs.slj.com/battleofthebooks/2013/03/28/round-3-match-1-bomb-vs-the-fault-in-our-stars/ …
• Kelly Iverson-Egge ‏@MrsIversonEgge Alright, @JP_Books, you've convinced me. I need to read No Crystal Stair. #sljbob
• Melissa Fox ‏@book_nut First match of the @SLJsBoB semifinals, and a tough choice is made. The right choice, IMHO. :-) http://bit.ly/WYCjYh 
• Maureen E ‏@elvenjaneite On a different note, I thought James Patterson actually did an excellent job of judging this morning's #SLJBob battle.
• Liz Burns ‏@LizB Dear SLJ BoB: My mom's birthday is tomorrow, and she loved CODE NAME VERITY, thus, VERITY should be named the Undead Winner tomorrow.
• Paige Ysteboe ‏@pysteboe @LizB Agee! Do you think a bribe to #sljbob would work?
• Susan Marie Swanson ‏@susan_marie "Can’t the booksellers, the librarians, be king? . . . everyone should read NO CRYSTAL STAIR" James Patterson http://blogs.slj.com/battleofthebooks/2013/03/29/round-3-match-2-splendors-and-glooms-vs-no-crystal-stair/ … #sljbob
• dampscribbler ‏@dampscribbler I'm shocked. RT @sljournal And the 2013 BoB Undead Winner Is… http://ow.ly/jAFPt  #sljbob
• Lauren Downey ‏@downeypants I can breathe again. get it girls RT @SLJsBoB: And the 2013 BoB Undead Winner Is… http://blogs.slj.com/battleofthebooks/2013/03/30/and-the-2013-bob-undead-winner-is/ … #sljbob
• Maureen E ‏@elvenjaneite Oh my gosh, you guys, #CNVSpecialOps did it! Undead Poll is ours! And my morning is made. :D #SLJBob
• Sophie Brookover ‏@sophiebiblio Fist pump! @LizB! @Ginger_Clark! Flails of joy! @sljournal: And the 2013 BoB Undead Winner Is… http://ow.ly/jAFPt  #sljbob
• Shelley Diaz ‏@sdiaz101 1st Saturday @ home in months. Cleaning, putting together tax info, etc. but had 2 go online to check on #sljbob undead winner. I am content
• Mahnaz Dar ‏@DibblyFresh @sdiaz101 But what about Ivan?!? Newbery curse strikes again!! #sljbob

Our money was on THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and WONDER as the winners of the Undead Poll, and those books fared quite well, coming in second and third respectively. SERAPHINA came in fourth, THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN fifth, and BOMB sixth. What came in first? Well, it’s a book that captured 27% of the vote, and held a commanding lead from start to finish. It is such a great book that, for the first time, I think the Undead Poll winner might win the whole thing. Could it be SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS? LIAR & SPY? MOONBIRD? STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY? Nah, it’s ...  

Congratulations, Code Name Verity!  See you on Monday, April 1st!