Summer Showdown Over

Congratulations to our winners!

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Hunger Games
In a Sunburned Country
Unaccustomed Earth

Let us know what you thought of Summer Showdown. Was it too long? Did it go well with Summer Reading or did it conflict with staff time? Was it confusing to vote OFF a book? Would it work if we moved the showdown to around National Library Week in April? Should we limit the nominees to the past year? Let us know!

Unaccustomed Earth By a Nose!

Well, after much debate amongst the Summer Showdown committee, we've selected Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth!

It's been an exciting journey--hope you liked voting, commenting, and learning about good books. We did! Thanks for everyone's participation. We're looking forward to another great selection of books going head-to-head next year!

In a Sunburned Country Wins!

Congrats to Bill for hanging in there to the very end!

The Adult Fiction competition is very close. Who will win? Continue to vote--you have one day left!

Hunger Games wins teen summer showdown

Hunger Games is the last one standing in the first annual Arapahoe Library District Summer Showdown. If you haven't read the book yet, reserve it today. You can listen to it on CD or Playaway. Also, make sure you get your hold in for Catching Fire, which comes out this September.

Thanks to all who voted!

Harry still the "Chosen One"

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the chapter book Summer Showdown champ. The newer Mysterious Benedict Society series probably just doesn't have the readership to take on Harry.

Did you know that Harry Potter was first published eleven years ago (eleven being a very significant birthday for Harry)? Come to the library and celebrate at a Harry Potter party

Dinosaur Wins

I didn't think anyone would beat the Pigeon, but Dinosaur was confident and already had a page for "Dinosaur Wins."

Farewell to Skeletons at the Feast

Our very own JoAnne Pulcino reviews Skeletons at the Feast as a "bittersweet, heartrending story of a love triangle and the exodus of refugees in the waning months of the Second World War." Sounds like the makings for a great book! However, sadly, it's been voted off in our Summer Showdown poll.

We're left with the short stories of Jhumpa Lahiri and Jeffrey Archer's suspenseful murder mystery. Who will be left standing?!

The Glass Castle has been eliminated!

This is the deciding week--we've now got Bill Bryson's travel memoir up against Diane Ackerman's war story.

Who will be the winner? Predictions, anyone?

PS As a concession to The Glass Castle, here's a little promo for Jeanette Walls's upcoming true-life novel, Half Broke Horses: Lily Casey Smith, the author's grandmother, survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. This is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults. Half Broke Horses will transfix readers everywhere. Due out in October.

Sorry Percy

Final week and it's down to two: Hunger Games and Graceling. Personally, I'm hoping that Hunger Games wins big! Which do you predict will win? Comment below with your thoughts.

Click for a review of all eight Summer Showdown Teen Books nominees.