IBOB (pronounced Eye-Bob) stands for Idaho Battle of the Books.
It is a statewide, voluntary reading program open to all Idaho students in grades 4-12, regardless of ability. It focuses on motivation, comprehension, initiative, and teamwork. IBOB is designed to introduce students to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints.
The mission of IBOB is to:
encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading
share the love the reading with students who haven't yet discovered it for themselves
broaden reading interests
increase reading comprehension
promote academic excellence
promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students
History
Battle of the Books first started in Chicago in the 1930s, and then expanded to states all over the country. Each state has its own program, although many are similar. In 2017, the librarian at North Junior High (Kevin O'Dea) brought Battle of the Books to Idaho from his home state, Oregon. Oregon has a very rich BOB program, and he knew that it would be a great thing for Idaho. The program started out small, with only a few participating junior high and middle schools in Ada County, but quickly expanded to a statewide program with rapidly increasing numbers of students involved at all three levels! While IBOB adopted many characteristics from OBOB, it has evolved into its own unique program especially suited for our state.
The Basics
A list of books is chosen for each grade level division (Elementary, Middle/Junior High, High School). Students form teams of ~4 people, divide up the book list among themselves, and read/discuss them. This portion of the program takes place during the fall semester and is self-directed by the teams. Beginning in January, teams compete against one another to correctly answer questions based on the books using a "quiz show" format. The teams that earn the most points during this portion of the program will go on to represent their school at the Regional Tournament in the spring. (For more details about how the competitions work, see The Rules.)
How Are Books Chosen?
IBOB is run by a committee of volunteers, most of whom are librarians who work directly with youth. Every year, this committee gathers lists of possible books, drawing from their own expertise as well as recommendations from participants. As you can imagine, these lists are pretty long! In order for a book to be selected as an IBOB title, it must be read (or re-read) in its entirety by a minimum of two committee members. These readers will evaluate the book based on several factors, and make a recommendation as to whether the book should be an IBOB book (and for what level it should be used).
The Selection Committee follows the Criteria for the Selection of Titles. Among other considerations, this includes:
high-quality, well-reviewed, age-appropriate books
variety of subject areas, plots, settings, characters, and writing styles
balanced interest for participants of all genders
wide range of maturity levels within the division (while remaining appropriate, in general, for all grades represented)
variety of genres
award winners
has not been an IBOB book within the last four years
availability for schools to purchase affordable copies
It is important to remember, in the Middle/Junior High Division, that participants come from different communities statewide. Some teams will include 6th graders, and some will include 9th graders. It can be challenging to pick books that are interesting and age-appropriate for all possible teams! As a result, the maturity level for the Middle/Junior High reading list may seem a little low for some North IBOBers. Freshmen are permitted to participate at the High School level if they prefer, although opportunities for practice battles may be limited.