2015 BOB Battle Plans. Illustrations by Mark Tuchman

We’re less than a month away from the official start of SLJ’s seventh annual Battle of the Kids’ Books, and the Battle Commander has just revealed this year’s battle plans and brackets for the March Madness–type contest in which kid lit faves go head to head in a winner-take-all showdown. Continuing the tradition of pitting two stellar children’s and YA titles against each other in the virtual elimination tournament, the Battle Commander has once again paired the unlikeliest of contenders—talk about apples and oranges! With a teen novel matched against a middle grade tale and a nonfiction work against a graphic novel, who knows what the final results will be? It’s up to the author judges to decide. Which eight books will advance to Round 2? Will a Newbery title finally make it to the final round? Download the nifty 2015 brackets to keep track of predictions and the judges’ decisions. And the 2015 Battle Plan, created by SLJ Creative Director Mark Tuchman, will make a fun visual for libraries, classrooms, and displays. Before the battle officially begins, participants can join in on the fun with the Undead Poll (February 25-March 8), in which fans can vote for their favorite contenders. The book that receives the most votes will rise like a zombie to compete in the final round. Comment, tweet, blog—and you might make it on the Peanut Gallery. Use the hashtag #sljbob.

Other BOB Resources

SLJ’s BOB Pinterest Board Tips for Creating a “Mock BoB” PDF version of 2015 Battle Plan PDF version of 2015 Brackets BOB Resources on TeachingBooks.net