SLJ's Battle of the Books Round Two

I am loving the battle this year so much. I don't love many of the books, and I don't agree with all the decisions. BUT. The decisions themselves have been amazing. The judges are setting a new standard this year for sure. I usually pick a favorite quote from each decision, and it is often hard to find one I like. This year it would be impossible to narrow it down to one. Read them all. They are all so good.

Match One, March 21

The Animal Book versus Boxers & Saints

Judge: Tonya Bolden

My Pick: Boxers & Saints
I really loved Boxers & Saints. I like the way the two stories overlap and intertwine, the history, the different perspectives, and the mixture of mediums. I enjoy The Animal Book, but as I said before story will win over books like this for me every time.

Match Two, March 24

Eleanor & Park versus Far Far Away

Judge: Rae Carson

My Pick: Eleanor &Park
I enjoyed Eleanor &Park for the characters. Both Eleanor and Park are great characters that pull you into their story and make you feel. The only thing Far Far Away made me feel was a desperate need to get far far away from it.

Match Three, March 25

Hokey Pokey versus P.S. Be Eleven

Judge: Joseph Bruchac

My Pick: P.S. Be Eleven

In his decision Tom Angleberger talked about feeling Hokey Pokey was about children rather than for children. I think that sums it up perfectly and I believe P.S. Be Eleven is a both so it is my pick to go on to round three.

Match 4, March 26

The Thing About Luck versus The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp

Judge: Katherine Marsh

My Pick: The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp
Oh it is wretched to have to see the MG books go up against each other. The True Blue Scouts is such a delightful story and one that will appeal to many kids. It is a perfect read aloud book and I can't wait to read it to my son in a couple of years. While The Thing About Luck is technically a good book from a literary standpoint, I didn't enjoy it. At all. It bored me. People keep going on about the amazing characters, but I didn't find them all that amazing. I thought they were rather flat and lost in all the talk about wheat harvesting.

Which of these books should be the winner? Two of my three favorites are out so I'm cheering on P.S. Be Eleven all the way!

Comments

Anonymous said…

I see that you aren't growing any fonder of Far Far Away as time goes on. :) I usually agree with you, but I really liked that one. I guess it goes to show that everyone has different tastes.

March 20, 2014 at 11:32 AM

Brandy said…

If I don't care about the characters in a book then you've lost me. Since Jacob was such a pretentious windbag and all my character info was coming from him, it just didn't work at all for me.

March 20, 2014 at 6:59 PM

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein...

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t...

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the...

Shadowshaper

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older is everywhere. Best of lists. Award buzz. Blogs everywhere. It's one of those books everyone is reading and talking about. I had it on my TBR but decided I definitely needed to read it before the year was out just so I could weigh in on one of the most talked about books of 2015 if asked. It is deserving of every good thing said about it. Every. One. Sierra was looking forward to a relaxing summer break. Her plans involved hanging out with her friends and painting. They did not involve being chased by zombie like creatures and threatened by a magical power connected to her family's heritage she has never heard of. When murals begin fading all over her Brooklyn neighborhood, Sierra is perplexed. When her grandfather, who had a stroke, begins to apologize and starts repeating strange phases and insisting Sierra get the help of a boy she barely knows to help her finish her mural, Sierra is concerned but mostly about her grandfather. Then at a...

The Penderwicks in Spring

The Penderwicks is not just one of my favorite ongoing series; it is one of my favorite series of all time. I'm always astounded by the depth of emotion and diverse, realistic relationship dynamics Birdsall is able to capture with these characters. The Penderwicks in Spring surpassed my expectations even though they were astronomically high already. It is now my favorite, having edged out The Penderwicks on Gardam Street . Minor spoilers for first three book are in this review. If you haven't read this series, get started: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy The Penderwicks on Gardam Street The Penderwicks at Point Mouette Spring is coming to Gardam Street and Batty and Ben Penderwick couldn't be more excited. The season is bringing with it anticipation and new opportunities. Nick Geiger, the Penderwicks' neighbor, is returning home on leave from the Army after being at war. Both Skye and Ba...

Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Search This Blog