March Madness!

Tuesday marked the beginning of Evergreen Library's March Madness tourney! Students AND staff can compete and win prizes. 

Will your favorite book(s) make it to the Final Four???

Round 1 voting is open until Friday, 3/21 @ 3pm. (Sweet 16 voting starts Saturday, 3/22). Stay tuned to see which books advance.

Details:

WHAT IS IT?                                                                                                                            
A contest to pick the best book at Evergreen! (The Top 32 books based on circulations this school year are competing).                                                                                                                                                                  
HOW DOES IT WORK?                                                                                                                               
Students and staff will vote for their favorite books. Books are divided into brackets, starting with 32, then Sweet 16, Elite 8, and then the Final 4 & Winner.                                                                                                                                
Vote each round to ensure your favorite books make it through the bracket.
                                                                                                                                
ARE THERE PRIZES?                                                                                                                               
YES! There will be prizes awarded each week (fun stuff) and grand prizes awarded at the end of the tournament.                                                                                                                                

VOTE EARLY, VOTE OFTEN?                                                                                                                         
Campaigning for your favorite book IS allowed (and I've already seen one instance where campaigning for a book is making a HUGE difference in the voting)…but you can only vote ONCE each round. If you have a favorite book and want it to win, get other people to vote for it. To see how your favorites are doing, check out the giant bracket in the library for updates!                                                                                                                            
Voting is open online (on Haiku) for Evergreen students and staff. If you would like to vote using the paper bracket, come to the library ASAP and fill one out!     
                                                                                                                

Series Saturday: Review: Selection (Cass)

Title: Selection; Elite
Author: Cass
Genre: Fiction, Dystopian, Contests, Prince/Princess, Marriage, Love
Pages: 327 (Selection)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (for both)
 Ages: Middle School and up

In this first installment of "Series Saturday," I thought that I would highlight a series that I recently discovered. This is not a new series, since the second book came out in April, but for some reason I never got around to reading it when the first book hit the shelves. And I think I know why...I have a natural aversion to girls in floofy dresses on the cover of the books I'm reading.

So, in my case, this was a terrific lesson in "Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover!" Dang, all this time I've missed out knowing these characters.

From the Publisher: 
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself'and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.


I finished the first book, and am waiting until school starts so I can "steal" our library copy of "The Elite." I am very excited to know where the story is going, and what is going to happen to America...and who she will choose. This book has a little bit for everyone: romance, action, political intrigue...and girls in fancy dresses if that's what you like. 

More March Madness!

Elite 8 voting has ended and we have our FINAL FOUR!

A couple of upsets and one complete blowout mark this round of the tournament.

Hunger Games, the number 1 seed, crushed it's competitor this round (Matched, the number 9 seed).

Red Pyramid (20) continues it's run through the tournament by upsetting another competitor, the 5th seed, Beautiful Creatures.

Lost Hero (2) beat another one of my favorites, and the last non-fiction book in the tournament, Iron Heart (7). It was a good run for non-fiction this year. I really thought Iron Heart had the stamina to go all the way.

In the final match-up, Maze Runner (3) was stunned in a buzzer-beater by Wimpy Kid #7 (11). I was quite honestly shocked by this result, though I do love both books equally so would have been happy with either book moving forward.

Now we are on to the Final Four voting:

Hunger Games (1) vs. Red Pyramid (20): Can this underdog continue it's run through the bracket and upset the undeniable favorite?

Lost Hero (2) vs. Wimpy Kid #7 (11): I actually have no idea how this "game" will end up.

Will it be #1 vs. #2 in the finals? Cannot wait to find out. To vote online, click here or grab a bracket from the library. Ballots are due no later than end of school on Friday, 4/5. Winners will be announced here and our Facebook page over spring break! Stay tuned...

March Madness Continues

Yes, March Madness has swept through the library at Evergreen! We are doing our part to contribute to the craziness that comes with filling out a bracket and rooting for your favorites.

Now, to be honest, this is the first year in I don't know how long that I haven't filled out a college basketball bracket. Chemo brain just didn't allow me to think clearly enough to compete. And since I know better than to pick my favorite Bulldogs, I wouldn't have been too disappointed with my bracket.

But March Madness at the library is almost as crazy! There have been blowouts, buzzer beaters, and upsets! We started with 32 books, all determined by the top circulations in our library since the start of school. Adjusting for series: only the top circulating book in a series was "allowed" into the tournament as decided by the tournament official (me).

First round: Some very interesting outcomes!
--8th seed Leviathan battled 25th seed Unwind. In the end, the winner was determined by the FINAL VOTE, with Leviathan prevailing.

--The 20th (Red Pyramid) and 21st (Chomp) seeds upset their competitors.

--Two of my favorite books were paired up against each other, so I knew from the start I was going to lose one of my favorites in the first round. False Prince battled to the win over A Long Way Gone.

--3rd seed Maze Runner did not crush it's competitor (Breaking Dawn) quite like you'd expect of a 3rd seed, but it did come out victorious in the end.

Sweet 16:
--9th seed Matched upset Leviathan in the closest matchup in this round.

--My FAVORITE book in the tournament, Swim the Fly (4) was upset by Red Pyramid. I am crushed...my bracket is blown. It's all fun and games until your favorite "team" loses.

Now we are on to the Elite 8. Voting is open until Tuesday, 4/2 at 3pm. You can vote online here, or get a paper bracket from the library. Will your favorite book(s) make it to the Final Four??? Stay tuned...

March Madness in the Library!

Starting Monday, the library will be holding it's own March Madness tourney! Students AND staff can compete and win prizes. Will your favorite book(s) make it to the Final Four???


Come to the library each week to get your bracket. Round 1 voting starts Monday, and ballots must be returned to the library no later than 8AM Friday 3/22. Sweet 16 voting starts Monday 3/25.

Details:

WHAT IS IT?                                                                                                                            
A contest to pick the best book at Evergreen! (The Top 32 books based on circulations this school year are competing).                                                                                                             Voting will be finished before spring break.    
                                                                                                                        
HOW DOES IT WORK?                                                                                                                               
Students and staff will vote for their favorite books. Books are divided into brackets, starting with 32, then Sweet 16, Elite 8, and then the Final 4 & Winner.                                                                                                                                
Vote each week to ensure your favorite books make it through the bracket.
                                                                                                                                
ARE THERE PRIZES?                                                                                                                               
YES! There will be prizes awarded each week (fun stuff) and grand prizes awarded at the end (gift cards and free books).                                                                                                                                
Students AND staff can win BIG prizes by voting for the books that make it to the Final Four, and for picking the winner. There are also smaller prizes awarded each week.
You can't win prizes if you don't remember to put your name on the ballot :)

VOTE EARLY, VOTE OFTEN?                                                                                                                         
Campaigning for your favorite book IS allowed…but you can only vote ONCE each round. If you have a favorite book and want it to win, get other people to vote for it. To see how your favorites are doing, check out the giant bracket in the library for updates!                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                        
If you would rather vote online, you can! Use the links below. (This week only, there are two links...click on both to vote for all the match-ups). You can actually start voting online now.


Western Conference
Eastern Conference

Have you entered????

The deadline is fast approaching for the KCLS Read.Flip.Win Contest!  Have you entered yet?  Details about the contest can be found here.  Don't delay...the contest ends July 31st!  And remember that there are two categories: Book Trailer and Book Review. 

While I was browsing their Facebook fan page, I found some links to entries already submitted.  Check them out if you need some inspiration!
Book Trailer for Maximum Ride by James Patterson
Book Trailer for The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins