March Book Madness

March Book Madness is an annual nationwide bracket style contest spearheaded by two teachers in Ohio. Each Fall, the teachers pick 16 recently published books based upon a particular theme of their choosing for tournament competition.

Bracket placement is done by drawing book titles out of a bowl. Books compete against each other in popularity to determine a champion.

The 2021-2022 contest theme is "Turning Points." MPMS students will vote for their favorites beginning in February 2022. Will our students agree with students in other states?

2021 winners: A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontorvat (MPMS), Lifeboat by Susan Hood (nationwide)

2020 winner: no MPMS winner due to pandemic interrupting the vote, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (nationwide)

2019 winners: Restart by Gordon Korman (MPMS), A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen (nationwide)

2018 winners: How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor (MPMS), Restart by Gordon Korman (nationwide)

[The 2017-2018 year is the first in which MPMS participated. MBM began in the 2014-2015 school year.]

Some schools conduct similar tournaments with their own twist. For example, the librarians may choose to pick their own 16 book titles. Or, instead of having books compete against each other, it may be books vs. their movie adaptations, or book villains vs. book heroines. No matter how the competition’s structured, all students are winners by being exposed to different book titles!