SCORE!!

Today is the final day of Round 1 in the Battle of the Kids Book. Trash by Andy Mulligan was matched against John Green and David Levithan's Will Grayson, Will Grayson.  The first book deals with three boys who survive by picking through trash in an impoverished city.  The second deals with modern urban teens and a search for identity and love.

The judge was Mitali Perkins and she chose Trash by Andy Mulligan.

Tomorrow Round 2 begins and The Cardturner goes up against  Countdown!   AAAAAAHHHH!!!  I'm glad I don't have to pick between those two!

So while Round 1 finished up and snow fell outside, I had a book to keep me warm.  I finally finished Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta.   Marchetta uses real emotions and the sufferings of real people to write the story of a young man forced to wander looking for his fellow countrymen and his lost prince.  The visions of a young girl lead him and his king's right hand man on a quest to reunite the exiles from their landlocked country and reclaim the country from a false king.  There is a LOT of violence, cruelty and deception in this book.  But there is also transformation and growth and a satisfyingly slow-moving romance. 

And then, I received a box from Bloomsbury Press filled with ARCs for the Kutztown University Children's Literature Conference.  I'm not sure exactly how many ARCs I will give out that day but I have over 50 ARCs - all middle grade fiction.  Some are sequels to popular series; some are from new authors.  I intend to skim through ALL of them as I prepare my book review session.  If you have not registered for KU's Children's Literature Conference, do it now!  These authors will present AND sign books at this year's event, Linda Sue Park, Beth Krommes, Jerry Pinkney and Pat Mora!