Union University’s Library at the Logos welcomes you to this presentation of March Book Madness! On Fridays in February, you will be introduced to the books competing in March Book Madness in 2022. Each week will feature our selection from two different genres. By the end, you will have been introduced to 8 genres and 16 books. Then, during the month of March, stay tuned to our social media channels to vote on your favorites. You, our readers, will determine which book will make it through the Final Four to become our first March Book Madness Champion!
Rachel: 8 books down. 8 to go. Rachel here again, and I’m joined by Amber. Are you ready to meet our next group? Each year, the American Library Association, ALA for short, presents awards for the best books for youth and young children. There are several awards, but we will feature a Newbery and a Pura Belpre. The Newbery winner is often viewed as the top choice of children’s literature for each year. The Pura Belpre winner is a book written by a Latino/Latina and speaks to experiences in Latino culture. Amber, why don’t you tell us about our Award-Winning Book Match-up.
Amber: We’re going old school versus new school in this Award-Winning Book Match-Up. Our old school book, Number the Stars, was the Newbery Award winner from 1990. Our new school book is The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, the Pura Belpre Award winner in 2021.
Both books are underdog stories, but Number the Stars might pull at your heart strings a bit more. In this book, Lois Lowry tells the story of Annemarie who must help protect her Jewish best friend, Ellen. Annemarie and her family helped protect Danish Jews from the Nazis and escape to Sweden. This is a story of courage, friendship, family, and standing up for what’s right.
Rachel: I remember reading this as a child, it was a great book. Tell us about the new school book.
Amber: The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez is an underdog story of a different kind. Nestor Lopez and his mother have moved to Texas to live with his grandmother while his father is deployed. Nestor is the new kid and on top of that he can speak to animals. His ability to talk to animals may come in handy as scary things are happening in the woods of his new town. Can Nestor and his friends protect the town? This book is about courage, friendship, family, and learning to accept yourself.
Rachel: Wow, that sounds like another great book. Number the Stars has been on shelves for over 30 years, does this give it an advantage over the newbie The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez?
Amber: I think time will be on Number the Stars side, but only time will tell. Rachel, why don’t you tell us about the next match-up of the week?
Rachel: The second match-up features two beloved picture books. Picture books are easy readers where the text is part of the story, but the illustrations are what makes the difference.
Amber: I love picture books. I think they will do well in March Book Madness this year. Which two books do we get to vote on?
Rachel: The Very Hungry Caterpillar is up first. You follow the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats through a varied and large quantity of food. Once full, he forms a cocoon around himself and sleeps. Then, something amazing happens. This is a story of transformation and being careful not to eat too much.
Amber: I remember this book. The pages get wider as the caterpillar eats his way through the book. Which book is it facing off against?
Rachel: Next, we have The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. There are two sides to every story, and in this book, the wolf gets to tell his side of what really happened between him and the three pigs. He may not be as big and bad as we were originally led to believe.
Amber: Oh, another great one. My copy was definitely worn from being read so often. Which picture book do you think will win out?
Rachel: I think the humor in The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs will seal the win. Now, we’re headed down to the final stretch. Hope you’re still with us as we meet our final competitors next week.
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