At the beginning of March, the students had the opportunity to nominate their favorite picture books. They nominated so many wonderful books, and I could tell they had already chosen which one they wanted to win. I wanted to spice the brackets up just a little bit, so I ordered a couple of brand new books (published in 2014) that I had read rave reviews about.
We thoroughly enjoyed reading the new books and the old books and passing them around the classroom. We laughed, we discussed, and we nearly cried. (Ivan, the shopping mall gorilla, has a very special place in the heart of our classroom.)
Then, we started to vote. Over the last couple of weeks, we've been reading and voting on a regular basis. We cheer when our favorites move to the next round, and we're sad when a favorite gets beat out. (It was so, so hard to say goodbye to Sam and Dave Dig a Hole.)
We're finally down to our final round. Thinking back to the beginning of this tournament, I am not surprised at all to see who the final two books are. They are polar opposites, but each have a special something about them that makes them lovable. We are excited for our final vote, so we can see who the winner will be, but many of us are saddened to know one of the books isn't going to get first place. This vote will be a tough one!
As I told all of you during our fall conferences, my entire goal this year is to make reading an enjoyable experience for your children. I want them to love reading, to seek out books, and to share their reading experience with those around them. This tournament has done just that for us. We have brand new favorites that we absolutely love to read, and we have bonded over some of the classics. It's been a fantastic time, and I can't wait to see who the winner will be!
Here's a look at our bracket: