Linda Ulleseit

The excitement builds in my classroom! We are down to our top four contenders for the the crown of Favorite Novel. Yesterday’s debates included commentary on the relatability of the characters, quality of vocabulary, genre of the book, and whether it had been made into a movie yet. Most students seem to feel that they can relate best to twelve year olds, as evidenced by Lightning Thief beating out Hunger Games, which has slightly older characters. Discussions about vocabulary included readability–if the vocabulary is easier, more students can enjoy the book. Most interesting to me was the debate over a book being made into a movie. Students seem to agree that only a good book will be made into a movie, but newer books, like Cinder, have not yet had the chance to develop a following. Overall I am impressed with how serious the students are taking this, how well thought out their reasoning is, and how much they are reading!

Here are the results of yesterday’s debates, with winners in red:

Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan vs. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Cinder by Marissa Meyers vs. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan vs. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Matilda by Roald Dahl vs. Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s fireworks as we debate:

Maze of Bones vs. Catching Fire

Lightning Thief vs. Unwanteds