Loyal readers may remember that last year, we reviewers here at No Flying No Tights participated in YALSA’s Best of the Best Reading Challenge, in which we were challenged to read at least 25 titles from the award winners and selection list top tens of 2011.
This year that challenge starts again today, with both more time and more eligible titles to consider! Check out the starting post over at YALSA’s The Hub for the full details.
For us, the important bits are as follows:
- To complete the challenge, we each have to read/listen to 25 of the 84 titles on the list of eligible titles (in PDF). Major kudos to anyone who can do all 84.
- Not only were YALSA’s best know awards and selection list top tens included this year, but they’ve added in teen-level honors and winners the Stonewall Book Award (for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience) and the Schneider Family Book Award (honors an author or illustrator for the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences).
- We have from February 3rd until June 22nd to finish the challenge, which is four whole months. Whoo hoo!
- Format matters: if the title won for an audiobook award, you have to listen to the audiobook.
- You have to read the title within the time frame. So, if you’ve already read any titles on the eligible title list, you have to re-read them to count it toward your total, UNLESS you participated in the Hub’s recent Nonfiction/Morris challenge (if you did, those titles do count toward your total.)
- The grand prize is…a YALSA tote bag full of 2012 and 2013 YA lit! BOOOOOOKS.
We will be reading all of the top ten of the Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection list, particularly relevant here at NFNT. We’ll also be reporting on all of the other potential titles we could be reading, including the Alex Award, Margaret A. Edwards Award, William C. Morris Award, Nonfiction Award, Odyssey Award, and Michael L. Printz Award, as well as the top ten Amazing Audiobooks, Best Fiction, Popular Paperbacks, and Quick Picks.
We invite any of our readers to follow along and join in the challenge! Participation is open to everyone — librarians, teachers, teens, anyone at all (except those who work for ALA.)
I’ll be posting again a bit later in the week so we individual participants can let you know what we’re starting with and who here is picking up that thrown down gauntlet and accepting the challenge.
