March Book Madness is taking place in our school this month as a part of #statehighreads. This championship consists of eight fantasy books and eight reality books to fit the theme of “Fantasy vs. Reality.” The fantasy books consist of City of Bones, The 5th Wave, Dorothy Must Die, Undertow, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, Everyday, Shadow and Bone, and The Demon King. The reality books include I’ll Give You the Sun, Eleanor and Park, Orbiting Jupiter, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Gabi A Girl in Pieces, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, Winger, and All American Boys.

Beginning with the “Sweet Sixteen,” there was a preliminary vote on March first. The next level of the championship was the “Elite Eight,” for which the votes took place on the tenth. The voting continued to the “Final Four” on the 18th, and will conclude with the “Championship Game” on the 30th. As of the Final Four voting, the books remaining are City of Bones, The Demon King, Eleanor and Park, and All American Boys. Information about voting was spread by email, and all were encouraged to participate.

March Book Madness is organized by Mark Morath, the South Librarian, and Lois Scarangella, the North Librarian. As for the purpose of this event? March Book Madness is “absolutely about reading and community,” according to Morath. This year is Morath’s second year as a librarian at State High. His goal is to match the right book with the right student. For Morath, March Book Madness provides “an opportunity for a lot of diversity. It allows students to match up with the right book, when it otherwise could have been a shot in the dark.”

When it came down to City of Bones in fantasy and All American Boys in reality in the Championship game, the book that won was . . .

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare!