Battle of the Kids Books!
Just in time as we embark on our final week of the season here at Heavy Medal…
…the Battle of the Kids Books list is up at Monica Edinger’s blog. Recognize some of those titles?
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About Nina Lindsay
Nina Lindsay is the Children's Services Coordinator at the Oakland Public Library, CA. She chaired the 2008 Newbery Committee, and served on the 2004 and 1998 committees. You can reach her at ninalindsay@gmail.com
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That is a very cool list. Nice job to the compilers! My only complaint is that after all of Frog Scientist’s success last year, none of the Scientists in the Field books made the cut! But hey, I’m sure it is hard to whittle it down to 16 books, and it is an excellent list. Can’t wait!
I wasn’t as keen on KAKAPO RESCUE as others were (not that I would have minded a Newbery Honor or anything–I love the series!), but I’m disappointed about the absence of THE WAR TO END ALL WARS and BUILT TO LAST (which I’m sure was ineligible for both Newbery and Caldecott, but is still one of the best nonfiction books of the year). And then there’s THE NOTORIOUS BENEDICT ARNOLD which I read *after* we put the list together.
Then there’s the fantasy. Monica, Roxanne, and I had to be careful not to stack this with 16 fantasy/science fiction titles because we like the genre so much. We left some great ones out of the mix–MOCKINGJAY, MONSTERS OF MEN, SHIP BREAKER, FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK, THE WHITE HORSE TRICK, and FEVER CRUMB, to name a few. Basically, if it didn’t have unanimous support, it didn’t make the grade.
It’s also kind of weird not to have more overlap with the National Book Award, Newbery, and Printz. Only one title: ONE CRAZY SUMMER. Oh, well.
Such a good list, and thanks to your required reading for the Mock, I am only four books behind. I haven’t read any of the Bartimaeus series as yet. Will I need the other three to make sense of THE RING OF SOLOMON? I will probably try and plow through them anyway.
With the exception of TRASH and WILL GRAYSON I have all the books at my elementary library. I seem to remember that TRASH was identified for as low as 6th grade. Anyone want to help me out? I know WGWG is way beyond elementary level.
THE RING OF SOLOMON is a standalone prequel. You can read it first and then go back and read the trilogy, which is easily among the finest fantasy writing of the decade. Yes, TRASH will work for 6th grade, and possibly 5th. Great boy book, too.
As always, lots of tears, gnashing of teeth, passionate emails back and forth, and blood on the floor as we made up the list. All three of us had to give up personal favorites for the greater good. Sob. More on that process here: http://sljbattleofthebooks.com/faq/