Battle of the Kids' Books

About the Battle
School Library Journal's Battle of the (Kids') Books is a competition between 16 of the very best books for young people published in 2008, judged by some of the biggest names in children's books.

Check Out the Brackets (pdf file)

Peoples' Choice Poll:
Final Standings

Round 1 (week of April 13)

Match 1: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves vs Ways to Live Forever

Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8

Match 3: Chains vs Washington at Valley Forge

Match 4: Here Lies Arthur vs Tender Morsels

Match 5: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks vs We Are the Ship

Match 6: The Hunger Games vs The Porcupine Year

Match 7: Graceling vs The Underneath

Match 8: The Lincolns vs Nation

Round 2 (week of April 20)
Match 1: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves vs Trouble Begins at 8

Match 2: Chains vs Tender Morsels

Match 3: We Are the Ship vs The Hunger Games

Match 4: Graceling vs The Lincolns

Round 3 (week of April 27)

Match 1: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves vs Chains

Match 2: The Hunger Games vs The Lincolns

Final (week of May 4)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves vs The Hunger Games

First Round Judges

Roger Sutton
Jon Scieszka
Elizabeth Partridge
Meg Rosoff
Rachel Cohn
Ellen Wittlinger
Tamora Pierce
Ann Brashares

Second Round Judges

Tim Wynne-Jones
Coe Booth
John Green
Nancy Werlin

Third Round Judges

Linda Sue Park
Chris Crutcher

Final Judge

Lois Lowry

Awards Ceremony

Posted by Battle Commander on May 6, 2009

Winners of the 2009 Battle of the (Kids') Books

Gold Medal
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Silver Medal
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. II
The Kingdom on the Waves by M. T. Anderson

People's Choice Bronze Medal
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Congratulations to All!

Comments (3)

Big Kahuna Round

Posted by Battle Commander on May 6, 2009


The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. II The Kingdom on the Waves	The Hunger Games

Comments (20)

Press Conference

Posted by Battle Commander on May 5, 2009

Welcome, everyone. Can you believe that just a few weeks ago we were all standing here waiting for the Battle to commence? And now it is almost time for the final two to have it out in front of our distinguished judge, Lois Lowry.

Er, yes, Octavian, she did say something about bribes, but we made it very clear to you and Hunger Games that we do not approve of them. NOT AT ALL. Do you understand us? We hope so or no coming back for you next year. What is that? You can't because your story is done? Well, um...

...let's move on. What's that, Graceling? You will be back? Well, we can't promise a match between Fire ...Read More

Comments (2)

Judge Lowry

Posted by Battle Commander on May 4, 2009

Our final judge is Lois Lowry, who having just read the new Cheever biography and achieved a new appreciation of venom, envy, and self-loathing, can hardly wait for the opportunity to manipulate children’s authors into a frenzied state of intellectual competition. She will, incidentally, accept bribes.*

* The Battle Commander wishes to remind the two finalists that we do not condon, do not, do not, do not, condon bribery. You are books for young people, after all!

Comments (3)

The Final Week's Schedule

Posted by Battle Commander on May 3, 2009

Monday: Judge Lowry's Bio
Tuesday: Press Conference
Wednesday: Finale

Comments (1)

Book Tweets 4

Posted by Battle Commander on May 3, 2009

Books, their words and themselves, do live forever in our hearts.

Comments (0)

Book Tweets 3

Posted by Battle Commander on May 2, 2009

Those who are no longer in contention are moving on... but apparently, one of our finalists is in turmoil.

Comments (0)

The Peanut Gallery: Round 3

Posted by Battle Commander on May 1, 2009

Most seem to be waiting with bated breath for Judge Lowry to decide. Here are a few tidbits seen around this past week.

Writes Collecting Children's Books, "I still contend that, children’s book or not, THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING : THE KINGDOM OF THE WAVES by M.T. Anderson is the most literary, most compelling, and most deserving-of-a-Pulitzer novel published in 2008. I wonder if the Pulitzer committee even considered it. I know wh

Comments (0)

Round 3 Match 2 The Hunger Games vs The Lincolns

Posted by Battle Commander on April 30, 2009


The Hunger Games	The Lincolns A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

Comments (3)

Book Tweets 2

Posted by Battle Commander on April 29, 2009

These book, they can really tweet!

Comments (0)

Round 3 Match 1 The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves vs Chains

Posted by Battle Commander on April 28, 2009


The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. II The Kingdom on the Waves	Chains

Comments (6)

Book Tweets 1

Posted by Battle Commander on April 27, 2009

Like your Battle Commander, our book contenders are twittering away about the Battle. Here is the first of several posts featuring their recent tweets.