Battle Joined

I have not read tomorrow's contestants in The Battle of the Kids' Books.  They are Endangered! by Eliot Schrefer and Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage.  The judge is Kathi Appelt.

Unfortunately for me, the two largest public libraries close to me do not own Endangered!  Yeah!  I know!  It's a National Book Award Finalist, for golly sakes!  They both own Three Times Lucky, but obviously the word is out that this is an awesome book because it is on hold at my hometown library and out at the "other" library.

(And, with huge apologies to all the booksellers out there who do such awesome work keeping literature alive, I only buy books that I have learned to love.  It's a cheapster thing.)

So I have read a few reviews and I have investigated the judge.  And, even though I am totally unqualified to make a prediction, I will!  I predict that the small-town girl will beat out the orphaned chimpanzee. 

  Who can resist a message in a bottle?

I predict that tomorrow, Three Times Lucky will move on to the next round.  I predict this for three reasons. 

Reason 1:  Kathi Appelt's own work leans toward small-town and rural characters.
Reason 2:  Sassy orphans beat out orphaned animals most of the time.
Reason 3:  The American South is more appealing than the Congo, especially now.

But the New York Times review of Endangered! gives me pause.
There just might be a surfeit of small-town mysteries in children's books right now.  The suspense and tension of Sophie's attempt to save her small bonobo friend may tip the scales in Endangerd!'s favor.

He looks so frightened.  I want to save him, myself.

I wish I had a chance to read just one of these books!!!

I have nothing to lose!  I stand by my prediction. Three Times Lucky will win tomorrow.  (maybe)