Smackdown Books 2021

Ordinary Hazards
We Dream of Space
If These Wings Could Fly
We Are Not Free
The King of Jam Sandwiches
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team
The Companion
Punching the Air
Show Me a Sign
Land of the Cranes
Furia
Dragon Hoops
When Stars Are Scattered
Snapdragon
The Radium Girls: The Scary But True Story of the Poison That Made People Glow in the Dark
American as Paneer Pie
Tune It Out
The Gilded Ones
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
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Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Ghost Boys rise from Dread Nation

Ghost Boys was an easy read about a complex social topic.  Our readers weren't big fans because the style was so simple and we've read other books about racism and the shooting of a young black person that had more profound effects on us (for me, it's The Hate U Give).  However, we all agreed that kids would want this book.  In fact, we have kids in line asking for it.  The topic is relevant and important for them, and some of them aren't ready either for the content or complexity of some of the other texts. 
Dread Nation was an enjoyable read for many of us.  Some of us actually liked it better than Ghost Boys.  Zombies and the Civil War?  A heroine who is smart and sassy; who kicks butt and chops off zombie heads?  Yes, please!  Is there a niche of readers who will devour this?  Yes. 
We will have both books in our library. 
But we decided unanimously that we would vote through the book that we believed would have the bigger audience among our students:  Ghost Boys
We are curious now to see if the rest of our team at the other schools had similar feelings! 

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