Wednesday, March 13, 2013

SOL 13: March Madness Idea

   
 The other day, my team and I were brainstorming ways to make our work with "Authors of Substance" more visible. We already have kids reading, talking, and blogging. Our librarian has devoted space in the library to the question, but we still want to do a bit more.

     That's where the idea of a March Madness Author's Bracket came in. We are devoting an entire bulletin board to setting up a giant bracket pitting current children's and YA authors (those who published their work after 1980) to "classic" children's and YA authors (those who published before 1980- I know! It makes me feel ancient too!). On Friday, we'll ask kids to create two top five lists to submit their authors. Those with the most votes will make the Sweet Sixteen.

      Right now, my top five lists would look something like this:

Top Five Classics:
Judy Blume
Madeline L'Engel
Harper Lee
Roald Dahl
J.R.R. Tolkein

Top Five Currents
J.K. Rowling
John Greene
Suzanne Collins
Maggie Stiefvetter
Meg Cabot

Who would be on your top five lists?

3 comments:

  1. I'd definitely include

    Current:
    Kate Messner
    Tom Angleberger

    ??
    Jane Yolen (where does she fit? She's been publishing forever!)

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  2. I would also include Patricia MacLachlan and Katherine Paterson. Love the idea! Mel Swider is doing this also and shows her bracket in her post on tworeflectiveteachers.blogspot.com. Also, have you seen the March Madness Poetry Challenge at thinkkidsthink.com?

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  3. I'd include Lois Duncan--not sure if current or classic or both!

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