March Madness of Reading Contest--2016 Style!

 
 
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Greetings, greetings, enthusiastic greetings, all reader guys everywhere! Today is March 1 and that's a glorious day for me. Why? Because it means the NCAA Men's basketball tournament, otherwise known as March Madness, happens this month! This is one of the great sports events of the year and it's exciting every time. Each year there are thrilling games. Each year there are stunning upsets. Each year some unknown Cinderella team comes up from nowhere and, even for a moment, startles the whole world. And, in the last few years, the teams that ended up in the finals were NOT the teams everyone predicted. It's great! The games are exciting and a party atmosphere fills the country. Therefore, in honor of this great event, I'm going to hold a MARCH MADNESS OF READING contest. This will be a lot of fun--you get to read cool books and three guys will win prizes from our ultra-cool prize box. (What prizes? More about that in another post!) The contest starts now and will continue through April 5. I'll announce the winners soon after that.

The rules are simple--you write in book reviews and you get points. The three guys with the most points at the end of the month win. As I said, simple. You could write about any book, fiction or nonfiction. Or a graphic novel. Or a biography. (I'll tell you how to send in your reviews in a minute) Every book review is worth at least one point. Got that? Each review is worth at least ONE POINT.

But then, there are some books that I don't think get enough attention. So, each review of one of the following books is worth TWO POINTS:

Any book in the Brixton Brothers series by Mac Barnett

Any book in the Alvin Ho series by Lenore Look

    Any book in the Boys vs Girls series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    Or any of the Lunch Lady graphic novels

    Or any one of the three Fangbone graphic novels

    Or the nonfiction book Stubby: The War Dog

Got that? OK, I've got more. There are some longer books that also don't get enough love. Each review of one these is worth THREE POINTS:

Any of the truly great Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales graphic novels

Any book in the Leviathan trilogy by the talented Scott Westereld

Lincoln: A Photobiography by the great Russell Freedman

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by the terrific Alan Silberberg

But wait--there's more! I have three favorites that really should be read more often. They are much longer, all three are older and a bit harder but not that difficult. And they are GREAT STORIES!!

                                                                                             

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (one of The Books Every Guy Should Read)    

The Yearling by Marjorie Keenan Rawlings (an epic story of growing up in the Florida wilderness)

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (the greatest pirate story of all time)                    

                       

All right, ready to start reading and sending in your reviews? Good. Here's what you do:

1. Go to the "Comments" area under this post or any post.

2. Type up your review in the blank space under where it says "Leave your comment." Be sure to give us the book's title, its author, a BRIEF summary of the plot and why you did or didn't like the book. Don't just say, "This book was cool"; tell us WHY you liked it.

3. Here's the tricky part--under the Comments area is a place that says "Choose an Identity." It gives you a choice of signing up with a Google account, an Open ID account, or you could use a name and a URL or you could be anonymous. (I wish you wouldn't be anonymous; how would I know who to give the prize to?) You DON'T have to create a Google account! And you DON'T have to use Open ID. The best thing, if you've never written to us before, is to use the Name/URL option. You don't have to put in a URL but we would appreciate leaving your name--either your full name or your first name or you could make up a name. (like Turkeyhead) 

Or, if this gets too confusing, type up your reviews and bring or send them to me at the Myers Park library. And if you have any questions or don't understand something, call me at 704-416-5800 or come by the Myers Park library and see me.

I'll post the reviews and points at least once a week. OK? Then get going and may the best guy win!!!

PS--if you want to see some of the past March Madness contests, click here and here and here.