Monday, March 30, 2009

The SLJ Battle of the Books is Here!

I've posted about it over at Pop Goes the Library.

I'm looking forward to the SLJ Battle; and the whole idea of comparing such different books is intriguing.

Here is the first round of books (and remember, 30% off at Flying Pig Books) (Because of the Flying Pig involvement, I will not be doing my usual Amazon linking.)

Round 1 (Week of April 13th)

Match 1: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves vs Ways to Live Forever. So, we have historical fiction for teens by an established American author (male) vs a contemporary book for middle grade readers, about a boy who is dying, a debut by an British author (female).

Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8. Suspenseful ghost story by a rock star British author who lives in US vs a nonfiction book about a rock star author, Mark Twain, by an established American author. Both men; both writing for the same age group (and both books go beyond the target age group).

Match 3: Chains vs Washington at Valley Forge. Historical fiction set in the Revolutionary War era, by an award winning American author (female) (ages 10 and up) vs a nonfiction Picture Book for older readers about the Revolutionary War by a Newbery Award winning author (male). Both books not only are for the same age group; both are set in roughly the same geographic area (mid Atlantic states).

Match 4: Here Lies Arthur vs Tender Morsels. Historical fiction for teens about King Arthur by well known British author (male) vs fantasy in quasi-medieval world by award winning Australian author (known mostly in US for her short stories). Both are for teens.

Match 5: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks vs We Are the Ship. Realistic fiction for teens by popular American author (female) vs nonfiction picture book by respected American author (male). First for teens, second for middle grade and teens.

Match 6: The Hunger Games vs The Porcupine Year. To the death fantasy for teens by author best known for her younger fantasy books, first in a series, by female author, American vs historical fiction for middle grade/older readers by American author who has written for children before but is more well known for writing for adults.

Match 7: Graceling vs The Underneath . Fantasy book for teens by debut author, female, vs middle grade book by debut author, female.

Match 8: The Lincolns vs Nation. Nonfiction book for ages 9 and up by well known American author, female, vs alternate universe historical fiction by rock god author, British, male.

OK, it is wrong to boil these books down to such basics that really don't matter. Still, it's interesting, for me, to see how many of these are for older readers and teens. It's interesting what I don't see; no Jellicoe Road, for example, yet every Printz Honor; on the Newbery side of the table, only one of the Honor books. Three of the five NBA nominees are here, but not the winner (the three are the ones that also won ALA honors).

I'd love to know the discussions that went on to reach these sixteen books!

© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

3 comments:

Janssen said...

I am REALLY excited about this. . . it's just very cool, and I think the book choices were generally top notch!

Charlotte said...

Wow-surreal matchups! cool.

Trisha said...

I'd love to know the discussions that went on to reach these sixteen books!

Me, too. I had the same thought about Jellicoe Road not being on the list, even though the four Printz Honors were. But I was glad to see them address how they decided which books would face off against one another.