Book Madness is Gillispie's annual book tournament, created by Ms. Long in 2019, and modeled after March Madness. Ms. Long selects eight of the best picture books and eight of the best chapter books published in the previous calendar year to compete in head-to-head battles.
During library visits in January and February, students listen to and learn about the books. Each week in March, students vote for their favorites. After three rounds of voting, one picture book champion and one chapter book champion is crowned. Winners of each round will be announced and celebrated each week at G-Day Morning Meetings.
Ms. Long's top book picks from 2024 spark imagination, celebrate a variety of authors, and bring adventure to life. If you haven’t read them yet, check out the list here:
Picture Books:
- We Are Definitely Human: A humorous sci-fi title, promoting kindness, with an excellent self-portrait of author/illustrator X. Fang.
- In Praise of Mystery: The text of this book is a poem written by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón that is engraved on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft, which is currently on its way to Jupiter's moon, Europa.
- Being Home: Written and illustrated by the award-winning team of Traci Sorell and Michaela Goade, who are both members of Native American tribes, this is the rare picture book that celebrates moving to a new home.
- I'm Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Luckoff: This is an epistolary picture book best enjoyed in an expressive read-aloud. It teaches how to craft a sincere and thoughtful apology and there's a parallel story happening in the pictures throughout.
- Luigi: The Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten: Luigi is the most adorable spider you'll ever meet, created by the team behind Library Lion: Michelle Knudsen and Kevin Hawkes.
- Narwhal: Unicorn of the Artic, by Candace Fleming is a nonfiction book, full of fascinating facts about narwhals, written in the second person.
- The Last Stand, by Antwan Eady with pictures by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey, tells the story of a Black-owned farmstand that is handed down to a new generation.
- The First Week of School by Drew Beckmeyer is a hilarious, science fiction look at the first week of school. With wordplay and jokes for grown-ups and kids, this one demands a re-read immediately upon finishing.
Chapter Books:
- A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga: By the award-winning author of A Rover's Story, this is a humorous mystery featuring a non-scary ghost.
- Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz (one of Ms. Long's favorite middle grade authors): This is a historical fiction set in World War II, featuring a pair of mythical creatures acting as comic relief. (The second book in the series is out now!)
- Gamerville, by Johnnie Christmas: This graphic novel by the author of Swim Team tells the story of a die-hard gamer whose parents send him to a tech-free summer camp.
- The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy is a Newbery Honor book and a fish-out-of-water story of a girl who moves from a self-sustaining community in New York to a small beach town in California.
- The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin is a historical fiction set during World War II told from two perspectives, featuring spies and code-breaking with a cameo appearance by Alan Turing.
- Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell is a best-selling fantasy and adventure story featuring fantastical beasts and memorable characters. A must-read for fantasy fans.
- Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu is so scary that Ms. Long yelled out loud while reading it at home for the first time. It is inspired by the famous short story, The Yellow Wallpaper. Not for the faint of heart!
- Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi is the National Book Award winner. It is a novel-in-verse about a Syrian American boy who loves football and struggles when asked to befriend a new student who is a Syrian refugee.
Reading is at the heart of learning, and our library program nurtures a love of books from preschool through Grade 6. With engaging storytimes, hands-on activities, author visits, and open library hours, students build literacy skills and explore their interests. Learn more about our library program and Specialty classes>
