After weeks of tirelessly reading all 20 of the 2014 Monarch Award Nominees (really, it's 20 picture books and easy readers-this award list is a breeze), I've made my picks!
Now, the ranking of this list is very scientific. I have researched student reading habits, Lexile levels, controlled vocabulary, signs of the moon, patterns found in rock formations, and the migration habits of bluebirds. No, I haven't done any of that. This is all just my opinion.
I think I'll start at the end and work my way up to the grand reveal!
20. Same, Same by Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw (15-1)
19. Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman (20-1)
18. The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir and Our National Parks by Barbara Rosenstock (20-1)
17. The One and Only Stuey Lewis: Stories from Second Grade by Jane Schoenberg (15-1)
16. Perfect Square by Michael Hall (15-1)
15. Bibloburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winters (10-1)
14. Chicken Big by Keith Graves (8-1)
13. One by Kathryn Otoshi (10-1)
12. The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray (10-1)
11. Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet (8-1)
10. 11 Experiments that Failed by Jenny Offill (3-1)
9. Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team by Audrey Vernick (7-1)
8. The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin (20-1)
7. Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming (8-1)
6. Say Hello to Zorro! by Carter Goodrich (5-1)
5. One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo (5-1)
4. Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz (10-1)
3. Tales for Very Picky Eaters by Josh Schneider (5-1)
2. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (3-1)
1. I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff (5-1)
Putting together this ranking is kinda like picking my NCAA March Madness Bracket, I just go with my gut and sometimes I am surprised by the results. Like 11 Experiments that Failed - I really like it, but I'm starting to doubt the kid appeal. Also, after reading a great review on Goodreads, I had to give dark horse status to The Trouble with Chickens. I do feel pretty confident that I Wanna New Room will finish strong, maybe not first place, but top five.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree, disagree, would you like to passionately endorse Perfect Square or Same, Same but Different? Leave me a comment or send me an email at misstiffread at gmail.com.
And for all things Monarch, check out the full list and round-ups one, two, three, and four.
Happy Reading!
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