This Week’s Peanut Gallery

We are particularly excited to hear about those who have or are considering using the Battle with students. Say Texas librarian Donna Steel Cook who gets her whole high school involved. Read more in “Texas High School Celebrates Battle of the Books“.

“March Madness” has taken on a secondary meaning in rural Pollok, TX, where 423 high school students have been closely watching, rooting for, and predicting the winners of a unique elimination contest this month—not basketball, but books. Under the direction of Donna Steel Cook,district library director and high school teacher-librarian, Pollok’s Central High School has incorporated School Library Journal ‘s fifth annual Battle of the Kids’ Books (BOB) into an engaging program to support reading.

And Librarian’s Quest who considered that:

As the weeks have passed so too has the School Library Journal’s Battle of the Kids’ Books.  Even though the end is getting closer it still might be fun to do this with students after it’s over to see how they vote as opposed to the judges’ decisions.  School Library Journal has provided a page of downloadable graphics to use in designing your own brackets.  Each match appears as a PDF file.

If there are others out there, please let us know!

As to other things, please don’t miss our Battle Pinterest board filled with lots of cool stuff.

There’s Liz B on Bomb v Code Name Verity, Endangered v Stars, Sky v Glooms,  Seraphina v Star, Round 3, Match 1, and Round 3, Match 2.

Judge of Judges Sutton takes on Napoli v, Leavitt and Lai v. Griffin

The Card Catalog weighs in on Lows and Highs…, Lots of Sighs….

Book Nut considers Week 3 and Week 3 (Part 2).

Random Musings of a Bilbiophile thinks about The Final Four and The Finals.

Sondy’s got  strong views of Round Two and The Big Kahuna Approaches.

One of our contenders, The Fault in Our Stars, after a very contentious Zombie Round in The Tournament of Books (the tourney for adult literature that inspired the BoB), made it to the finals.

Some of this week’s tweets:

• Lauren T. ‏@thebestblt The finest library in all the land is featured today on http://battleofthebooks.slj.com/ ! #sljbob
• Eliot Schrefer ‏@EliotSchrefer I’m honored to have “come up against a John Green book in a dark alley.” Beautiful analysis, MLeavitt & @sljbob ! http://bit.ly/YrXkxU 
• Reads for Keeps ‏@reads4keeps What book would be intimidating in a dark alley? Today’s #sljbob match at https://sljinactiveprd.wpengine.com/battleofthebooks/2013/03/25/round-2-match-2-endangered-vs-the-fault-in-our-stars/ …
• Heather Alexander ‏@HeatherAlexand Paul Griffin, the papier mache trophy is worth more than any amount of snickers. @sljournal @SLJsBoB @sdiaz101 pic.twitter.com/2Niy73Dwku
• Kathy Ishizuka ‏@kishizuka This was hard – but I’m happy – Round 3, Match 1: Bomb vs The Fault in Our Stars http://ow.ly/juGX3  #sljbob
• Brandy ‏@brandymuses Okay #sljbob, unless Code Name Verity (or some other favorite) wins the Undead I’m through caring about you http://battleofthebooks.slj.com/ 
• Reads for Keeps ‏@reads4keeps One of us is in mourning; the other is ecstatic–>how #sljbob determines our morning mood https://sljinactiveprd.wpengine.com/battleofthebooks/2013/03/28/round-3-match-1-bomb-vs-the-fault-in-our-stars/ …
• Kelly Iverson-Egge ‏@MrsIversonEgge Alright, @JP_Books, you’ve convinced me. I need to read No Crystal Stair. #sljbob
• Melissa Fox ‏@book_nut First match of the @SLJsBoB semifinals, and a tough choice is made. The right choice, IMHO. 🙂 http://bit.ly/WYCjYh 
• Maureen E ‏@elvenjaneite On a different note, I thought James Patterson actually did an excellent job of judging this morning’s #SLJBob battle.
• Liz Burns ‏@LizB Dear SLJ BoB: My mom’s birthday is tomorrow, and she loved CODE NAME VERITY, thus, VERITY should be named the Undead Winner tomorrow.
• Paige Ysteboe ‏@pysteboe @LizB Agee! Do you think a bribe to #sljbob would work?
• Susan Marie Swanson ‏@susan_marie “Can’t the booksellers, the librarians, be king? . . . everyone should read NO CRYSTAL STAIR” James Patterson https://sljinactiveprd.wpengine.com/battleofthebooks/2013/03/29/round-3-match-2-splendors-and-glooms-vs-no-crystal-stair/ … #sljbob
• dampscribbler ‏@dampscribbler I’m shocked. RT @sljournal And the 2013 BoB Undead Winner Is… http://ow.ly/jAFPt  #sljbob
• Lauren Downey ‏@downeypants I can breathe again. get it girls RT @SLJsBoB: And the 2013 BoB Undead Winner Is… https://sljinactiveprd.wpengine.com/battleofthebooks/2013/03/30/and-the-2013-bob-undead-winner-is/ … #sljbob
• Maureen E ‏@elvenjaneite Oh my gosh, you guys, #CNVSpecialOps did it! Undead Poll is ours! And my morning is made. 😀 #SLJBob
• Sophie Brookover ‏@sophiebiblio Fist pump! @LizB! @Ginger_Clark! Flails of joy! @sljournal: And the 2013 BoB Undead Winner Is… http://ow.ly/jAFPt  #sljbob
• Shelley Diaz ‏@sdiaz101 1st Saturday @ home in months. Cleaning, putting together tax info, etc. but had 2 go online to check on #sljbob undead winner. I am content
• Mahnaz Dar ‏@DibblyFresh @sdiaz101 But what about Ivan?!? Newbery curse strikes again!! #sljbob

Filed under: 2013, Peanut Gallery