SLJ Kicks Off Third Annual 'Battle of the Kids' Books' Tournament
RSSBy SLJ Staff
SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books Tournament is back again, and you can have a say in what title wins the contest by voting in our Undead Poll to resurrect a book to compete in the final round. Newbery medalists Richard Peck, Karen Cushman, Karen Hesse, Laura Amy Schlitz, and Susan Patron are some of the big names who make up our dream team of judges who will determine the big winner after a grueling three-week decision-making process. Our third annual online contest kicks off Monday, March 14, with the first of four elimination rounds, pitting 16 of last year's best books for young people in a winner-takes-all showdown (think college basketball's March Madness). The last book standing will be announced Monday, April 4. Be sure to follow the action on our "Battle of the Kids' Books" blog, where you'll find a complete list of judges and posts on how the contest is unfolding. In the meantime, here are the books that have made our sweet 16 list: Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos, Keeper by Kathi Appelt, They Called Themselves the K.K.K. by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch, A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds, Trash by Andy Mulligan, As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins, The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan, The Cardturner by Louis Sachar, The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone, The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud, A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner, Countdown by Deborah Wiles, and One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books contest is the brainchild of three educators: Monica Edinger and Roxanne Feldman of the Dalton School in New York City and Jonathan Hunt, a school librarian in Modesto, CA. The competition was inspired by the Morning News's Tournament of Books, an annual competition featuring the previous year's best novels for adults. This year's contest is sponsored by HarperCollins Children's Books and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe. Just a quick note from a new observer - when you say Battle of the KIDS Books, I don't think Young Adult materials. Yet, a large share of the books listed here are YA. Kids Books would mean books for 9-12 year-old in my mind. * = Required information
But hurry up—voting closes Sunday, March 6.
Reader Comments (1)
Posted by Barb Thompson on March 7, 2011 06:02:40PM
