What books will we read?

Where do the book lists come from?

Central Rivers Area Education Agency's purpose in hosting this competition is to provide students 1) the opportunity to read high-quality, high-interest, diverse texts and 2) access to an award-winning author they can learn from and interact with. With these goals in mind, and based on past coach and student reader feedback, the planning team uses books from the Iowa Children's Choice Award list and Iowa Teen Award list.  

Central Rivers Area Education Agency BoB relies on the expertise, knowledge, and experience of our Iowa Association of School Librarians (IASL) colleagues on the award committees.  Further, the books that receive these awards are nominated by students across the state of Iowa.  It is because of this nomination and selection process that we do not alter or vet the lists for our competition. 

We know that some of the books on the middle school list are of a more mature theme and contain language that might not suit all readers. Coaches always have the authority to select which students might read particular books and/or which books their teams might not read. The BOB planning team, however, will not censor books from the book lists the IASL creates.

You can learn more about the book lists on the "Awards" page of the Iowa Association of School Librarians website.

How do we register?

Registration closes on Friday, February 28.

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/oWBaXT5ajUyvG5fa7

What should we know about registration?

• Buildings may register MORE THAN ONE TEAM. If you have more than six students who'd like to compete, create another team and register them for your building.

• Each team must submit a registration form. If your building has more than one team participating, complete a separate registration form for each team.

• The registration cost is $100.00 per team. You do not need to pre-pay for BoB at the time of registration. Completion of the registration form acts as an agreement between you and CRAEA that we may bill your school district for your team’s participation in this event and your school district pay the $100 registration on your behalf.

• You will receive an invoice from CRAEA for $100 per team after the Middle School BOB Grand Battle on April 30.

• If extenuating circumstances occur that do not allow you to register before February 28, 2025, the registration cost will increase $65.00 per team, and the planning team will review these late registration requests on a case-by-case basis. It's possible you may not be able to participate if you miss the deadline.

• Teams should be sure they register for the correct competition. (The Google Form for the elementary and middle schools competitions look identical except for the title.)