Basketball, Books, and Brandy
I have lived most of my adult life in the south, for many years in North Carolina, home of the great Duke vs. UNC rivalry. I now reside in Knoxville, Tennessee, home of the University of Tennessee, Pat Summitt, and the Lady Vols. I also grew up in the home of a college sports enthusiast, so I am no stranger to the madness that is March Madness. It always bewildered me. Why people would argue the chances of teams, discuss the strengths and weaknesses in certain match ups, yell at their TV screens when a referee made a call they didn’t like (“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!” is a favorite phrase of my father’s), and feel a sense of melancholy when their team is defeated, none of it made sense to me.
Then I discovered The Battle of the Kids’ Books and I understood. When you care about something enough, when it interests you enough, you invest a bit of yourself in it, and while I have absolutely zero interest in basketball I have a great deal of interest in children’s books. I am so excited when the list of chosen books is released every year to see what personal favorites did or didn’t make it, and what books I haven’t yet read did. I look forward to seeing what authors will be judging. On days results are posted I try to look them up as quickly as possible to see who …
