It was not a knock-down-drag-out kind of battle. It had the potential. Six voters, evenly split. The truth is, most of us didn't feel strongly enough about our preference to fight for it.

Both of these books were good. Neither was outstanding. 

Nikki Grimes, author of many verse novels, turned her attention to telling her own story in verse in Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir. Her poetry is beautiful. The story of her childhood and adolescence is heavy, filled with periods of darkness. Nevertheless, Grimes finds ways to shine light and to illuminate the power of words and writing. The brevity of her poems allows Grimes to choose just the right words to convey her emotions and memories. Because this is a memoir, there is less of a plot arc than many would have liked. However, the poetry is a powerful vehicle, drawing us to the author and her feelings rather than specific events. Some of us were hooked by the impactful narration.

The graphic novel Snapdragon might get more love in a classroom, especially from young readers. One 11 year-old would-be reviewer grabbed it, devoured it, and gave it two thumbs up. It's approachable. The story is fun. The pace is engaging. There's humour. There's the potential for tears. The magic is unexpected. The art is really well done. Young artists will likely enjoy the sketches in the back showing Leyh's process. There are a few spots with abrupt transitions that create some confusion about who's speaking or when and where we are, but they're not huge problems. Leyh covers a lot of issues (maybe too many? is she trying to tick boxes?): gender identity, queer relationships, interracial relationships, bullying, judging and fearing those who are different, toxic dating relationships, and feelings of not fitting in. Many young readers will be able to find characters or events they can relate to.  

In the end, we went with Ordinary Hazards, though on another day, we might have tipped the other way.

Renée, Kristen, Evelyn, Lynette, Kelly, and Nikki