BIG KAHUNA ROUND approaches

So, it has come down to this.  SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books will end tomorrow. Kathi Appelt's Keeper and Jonathan Stroud's The Ring of Solomon meet in the final head-to-head match-up.  But wait!  What's this?  A THIRD contender?  Yes, Back from the Dead, A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner has risen to challenge the two finalists.

And what sage of the writing world has the enviable task of choosing among these three???  It is Richard Peck, Newbery winner and all round great storyteller.  Whew!  Better him than me, is what I'm thinking right now.

Ok, here's my take on these three books.  I didn't read the Ring of Solomon so it is a little crazy that I am cheering for that book.   That's how powerful the character of Bartimaeus, the djinni, is.  Stroud's humorous writing, the excessive but effective use of tongue-in-cheek footnotes and Bartimaeus' oddly honorable amorality, MUST all add up to a compelling read. My former partner-in-storytime, SC, has told me - and I trust her - that this book is better than all three of Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy books.  So that is the book I WANT to win.  That is the book I think will win.

Here's why.  A Conspiracy of Kings is a marvelous adventure, well-plotted with characters the reader cares about.  The world Turner creates is credible and detailed.

Keeper is a dreamy book with lush descriptions, not only of the seaside setting but also of the workings of the young girl's thoughts and hopes.

But neither of those books have as strong and as original a character as Bartimaeus.  Bartimaeus is the quintessential lovable rogue - funny, powerful and unexpected.  With all of his thousands of years of experience how could a handful of monarchs and a girl and her dog expect to compete?  I'm just saying!  Bartimaeus will rise victorious tomorrow - (I hope.)