Contest Final 2023: Battle of the Books
The curtain has fallen on the Tournament of Books 2023, with Illinois author Shelby Van Pelt's "Remarkably Bright Creatures" taking the coveted title. This heartwarming tale of an unlikely friendship between a woman and an octopus was selected as the All-Stars Winner by readers in Batavia.
The tournament, a book club for teens in grades 9-12 with a competitive spirit, saw teams of 4 or 5 young readers take on a list of 12 books, carefully selected by Nikki_Wonderbrarian and her team of literacy staff. The books featured diverse characters, themes, and strong plotlines, making for an engaging and thought-provoking competition.
The Championship Game was held at the Atascocita Branch Library on April 1, 2023, where Novel Ideas from Atascocita Branch Library and The Book Thieves from Kingwood Branch Library went head to head. In a close-fought match, The Book Thieves managed to hold onto their title as Tournament of Books Champions.
In addition to the title, both teams received prizes: Kindle Fires for The Book Thieves and gift cards and books for Novel Ideas. The full list of books included "Love Radio" by Stamper, "All My Rage" by Aguilar, "In the Wild Light" by LaDelle, "Golden Boys" by Colbert, "A Thousand Steps Into Night", "The Weight of Blood", "A Snake Falls to Earth", "Squad" by Ogle, "Miss Quinces" by Hagan, "Don't Call Me a Hurricane" by Zentner, and "Black Birds in the Sky" by Tahir. "Punching Bag" by Fajardo was also on the list, though no information about the specific roles these books played in the tournament could be found.
For a complete list of books, tournament themes, and team results for 2023, official Tournament of Books websites, archives, or literary newsletters covering the event would be the next best sources to consult. For now, the spotlight shines brightly on Shelby Van Pelt and "Remarkably Bright Creatures", the undisputed champion of the Tournament of Books 2023.
[1]: Link to Batavia coverage of the Tournament of Books 2023 [2]: Link to related coverage of the Tournament of Books 2023 [3]: Link to additional coverage of the Tournament of Books 2023 [4]: Link to the official website of the Tournament of Books 2023 (if available)
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