How are the teams formed?

 Students will test on each book and the top four students in each division will be the ones who take the state-wide test. 

How often does Battle of the Books meet? 

Battle of the Books meets once a week. Elementary meetings are on Wednesdays during first recess (11:15-11:45am). Middle and Senior divisions meet during lunch or during ACP, depending on what the group decides. 

What happens when we meet? 

Students discuss books with each other, practice creating and answering questions about the books you have read, and compete in fun quiz-style games to get ready for competitions. 

Do I have to read every book? 

No, but it is suggested that everyone reads as many books as possible. This will give you the best chance of making the final team and will give our school the best chance of winning! 

Who decides which books are on the list? 

The books are nominated by students and librarians at the end of each season and voted on by librarians all over the state of Wisconsin. 

Where do I get all these books?

 Our library owns at least one copy of each book.  You can also check them out at the public library, purchase from a bookstore, as an e-book, or wherever else books are available. After Battle of the Books is over for the school year, the books become a part of the regular library collection. 

When do we compete? 

The statewide test is taken during the last week of February each year. 

What kinds of questions will be asked? 

Each book will be covered using an individual multiple-choice written test. Questions center around theme, plot, characters, setting, and important quotations from each book. There are also questions about specific items from the book. 

1. Reading Commitment

• Strive to read as many of the 20 selected books as possible during the program.

• Use available time outside of school to keep up with reading.

• Select a pace that allows for comprehension, not just completion.

• Return any Battle Books checked out from GLSD Library within the 2 week checkout period to ensure others have access to the books. 

2. Weekly Meetings

• Attend weekly meetings without unexcused absences. If the student is present in school that day, they will be expected to attend the meeting. Meetings are usually held during recess for the elementary division and lunch for the middle/high school divisions.

• Come prepared to actively participate in discussions, games and activities related to the assigned reading. We want this to be fun, but we also need to use our time wisely.
  
  

3. Online Trivia Quizzes

• Complete an online trivia quiz for each book read to demonstrate understanding and retention.

• Take quizzes honestly and independently—they are an important part of selecting our school’s representatives.

• Aim to do your best on each quiz to improve your cumulative score.

• Quizzes can be retaken for fun and practice, but the first score earned will be the recorded score for competition purposes. 

4. Statewide Competition

• The top four students with the highest quiz scores will be chosen as the school’s representatives for the statewide Battle of the Books.

• Representatives are expected to be fully committed to preparation for the competition and to continue reading, reviewing, and practicing recall for all 20 books.

• After the test, sometimes we are allowed to challenge answers that were marked incorrect but that we believe to be correct. Representatives may be required to write up to one paragraph defending their answers within a week of the test date for submission to WEMTA. 

5. General Conduct

• Maintain respectful behavior during meetings and group discussions.

• Communicate promptly with club leaders about any conflicts or challenges.

• Answer emails and contribute to group discussions. 

6. End-of-Year Celebration

• All students who consistently participate in meetings, continue to take quizzes, and show ongoing engagement with the book list are welcome to attend the end-of-year celebration, regardless of whether they are selected as school representatives.

• Students who discontinue participation, stop attending meetings, do not take quizzes, do not act appropriately during meetings, and make no effort to continue reading will not be invited to the celebration.

• The celebration is a reward for commitment, effort, and enthusiasm throughout the program.

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