By: medinger,
on 3/12/2014
It is the 6th year of the BoB and we’ve already had smashing decisions from three terrific judges along with clever graphics again from SLJ’s art director Mark Tuchman, smart commentary from kid commentator RGN, and wonderful responses from our loyal followers. Be sure to check it out!
By: medinger,
on 2/28/2014
For those wanting a good overview of SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books, I’ve a post on it up at the Nerdy Book Club today.
By: medinger,
on 3/11/2013
Tomorrow the fifth annual Battle of the Kids’ Books gets underway with a match between Bomb and Wonder judged by Kenneth Oppel. Now some, I know, are uncomfortable with the concept of books in battle, but I wish they wouldn’t be. In fact, the idea is for sixteen well-lauded books from the year before to be highlighted and admired again in a new and different way. What our judges do is thoughtful and in-depth, considering the two books they have been asked to judge and, in a variety of ways, coming up with a winner for this contest. Just with any tournament, all the contenders are great and it is just how things play out on this particular day that makes for a particular match winner. Another day and different judges and a different winner might well be the result (as is the case with pretty much all awards and contests).
I’m writing about this within a classroom context because this contest has been a terrific one for young people. Roxanne Feldman and I (the two-person Battle Commander) have been involving our students in the Battle for the last two years. Last year we introduced two very fine Kid Commentators (who will be back this year) and this year we had 5th-8th graders write introductions for the contenders. That is, each assumed the role of one of the actual books, and did a terrific job with it. (Those are here, here, here, and here.) This is something any teacher or librarian can do! In fact, we hope to expand this beyond our own students and school next year.
And that isn’t the only thing that is possible in schools and libraries. A high school library in Texas contacted us to let us know she was running the contest in her school. Others have told us of displays, bracket pools, and more. Every time we hear of this we are delighted because we’ve always hoped for the involvement of young people. Most of all I aspired to a Shadow BoB like the Shadowing Site done for the UK Carnegie Award (comparable to our Newbery). In that, young people read and vote and often come up with a completely different winner from the official judges. It would be so cool to do something like that for the BoB.
Meantime, I do encourage teachers (especially those put off by the battle metaphor) to take a look and think about how they might want to use it in their own teaching and schools. And let us know if you do!
By: medinger,
on 2/6/2013
Today we begin announcing the judges and the first one is here!
By: Marya Jansen-Gruber,
on 4/9/2009
If you would like to see how a "best book" gets chosen then I have a treat for you.This year School Library Journal is hosting a Battle of the (Kids') Books competition. "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." The first round begins on the week of April 13 and the books that are going to be in this round are:
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
The judges for this first round are:
Roger Sutton
Jon Scieszka
Elizabeth Partridge
Meg Rosoff
Rachel Cohn
Ellen Wittlinger
Tamora Pierce
Ann Brashares
Are there any other books that you think should be in the competition? Let me know what you think and do visit the Battle of the (Kids') Books Blog. It is going to be fun to watch this battle take place.
The book lover in me is saying “Yeahhhh!!!” for Eleanor&Park and Far Far Away; the children’s librarian in me is saying “Gahhhhhh!!!” for Doll Bones and Flora&Ulysses biting the dust. Next year we need to put our BoB display somewhere less age-specific! =) Anyway, great stuff – thanks to you guys for making it all happen!