Which book will come out on top?

School Library Journal is hosting a Battle of the Books tournament! Sixteen of the top books published in 2008 will compete in a March-Madness style event. Each contest will be judged by a prominent author of juvenile or young adult books. As the winner of each contest is determined, the list of contenders will be whittled down from 16, to 8, to 4, to 2, and finally one will emerge as the champion.

Details about the event and bios of the judges can be found here. You can weigh in with your opinion, too! Fill out the People's Choice Poll to vote for your favorite and track the results.

The battle begins April 13. During Round One, two winners will be posted on the site each day from the 13th through the 16th. Round Two winners will be posted April 20th - 23rd and Round Three winners will be posted April 28th and 29th. Finally, the Round Four winner will be revealed on May 6.

Contenders for the first round are:

• Octavian Nothing, vol. ll, by M.T. Anderson v. Ways to Live Forever, by Sally Nicholls
• The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman v. The Trouble Begins at 8, by Sid Fleischman
• Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderseon v. Washington at Valley Forge, by Russell Freedman
• Here Lies Arthur, by Philip Reeve v. Tender Morsels, by Margo Lanagan
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart v. We are the Ship, by Kadir Nelson
• The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins v. The Porcupine Year, by Louise Erdrich
• Graceling, by Kristin Cashore v. The Underneath, by Kathi Appelt
• The Lincolns, by Candace Fleming v. Nation, by Terry Pratchett

Let the fun begin!