I should have been a library specialist rather than a reading specialist

It has been abundantly clear to me for some time that I might be headed in the wrong professional direction. I am angry at the state of educational "reform," find the teaching of phonics to be monumentally boring, get very angry when I have to force politically-motivated state mandates on unsuspecting children and just, generally, am miffed with so many things that I feel powerless to change.

What gets me excited? Books.
Books + children.
Books in the right hands at the right moments.
Books that compliment other books, books that build a vast knowledge of our world and our selves.

The Runaway King & The False Prince (first two in The Ascendance Trilogy) by Jennifer A. Nielsen

When The False Prince took the top spot on the CYBILS 2013 SciFi-Fantasy list, I was very happy. Although my personal favorite was The One & Only Ivan, I really felt that The False Prince was probably a better representative for the award. It had wide appeal and at least two sequels to add to the stacks.