Battle of the Books
"Empower all students to be socially responsible life-long learners in an ever changing world."
Battle of the Books for the 22-23 School Year is up and Running!
Our Winning Elementary Team on the left and Winning Middle School team on the right!
MS BOB Participants
Scarlet McKenzie and Gracie Long
5th Grade Battle of the Books Participants
4th Grade Battle of the Books Participants
Battle of the Books Guidelines
The Battle of the Books program is an entirely voluntary one, whose goal is to promote literacy and an appreciation of literature.
Each team will be responsible for reading a list of twenty books.
Students choose their own teams and team names. No changes to team membership can be made after team list is submitted.
Teams must be registered by Friday, October 1, 2022
The list of books is from a statewide Battle of the Books list developed by Wisconsin school librarians and is located on this page. While there are a wide variety of books on the list, the program is meant to be a challenge to students who participate.
Battle books are available for checkout through the library. These titles can also be found through the public library as well. Finally, teachers and parents are also encouraged to read these books along with their students. Again, this is an entirely voluntary program. However, once a student has made a commitment to be a part of a team he/she may not quit.
Good Luck!
Sign UP Directions
Form groups of 4 students. Groups may be any combination of students:
Middle School Level combinations from grades 6 - 8.
Elementary School Level combinations from grades 4 and 5.
Determine whom will the "team captain." This person is responsible for completing and submitting the Team Sign Up Commitment Form.
Team Captain - fill out the Team Sign Up (see MS or Elementary BOB page for link
Due: October 1, 2022.
4. Everyone! Start Reading!
Frequently Asked Questions!
1. Do team members have to read all twenty books?
The goal is to read all 20 books among the team members; but each individual is not required to read all books. How many books each member reads will depend upon the member's reading speed, reading level, and interest in the books. Teams will perform better if each book has been read by at least two team members.
2. Can my team compete even if they have not read all 20 books?
Yes. Teams can compete even if they have only read some of the books.
3. How many times should my team meet?
Teams can meet as frequently as they are able and want to meet; however, we recommend teams meet at least three times prior to the competition.
4. What kinds of questions will be asked at the Battle?
Each question will include two parts: a question from the book (worth four points) and the author's name (worth one point.) Author's name MUST be spelled correctly to earn the point. Prizes awarded for teams with top four point totals.
All questions will be very specific and the answers will have been mentioned at least twice in each book. Information in any introduction, dedication, chapter heading, foreword, preface, afterword and author note will all be fair game and could possibly be included in the questions for that book. Some editions of books contain bonus material such as discussion questions and author interviews. While the answers may be mentioned in these bonus sections, we do not count these appearances for our requirements.
Sample questions from past battles:
Q1. In the book, No More Dead Dogs, someone is sabotaging the school play. What are the words that are spray painted on the scenery the first week of rehearsal?
A1. Old Shep, Dead Mutt Author: Gordon Korman
Q2. In the book Wild Man Island, when Andy washes up on the island, he follows a trail into the forest to find a place to get warm. He sees a red, jelly-like blob on the trail. What was it?
A2. Bear scat or bear droppings Author: Will Hobbs
5. Where can my team meet?
Students can meet before or after school, during lunch time, or any other common time during the day depending upon everyone’s schedule.
Teams may meet in the library during school hours, provided the teams are respectful of others while practicing. (You will need teacher permission.)
6. What are my responsibilities as a team manager?
Ensure team registration form is filled out completely and turned in by Friday, October 1, 2021 to your school library.
Notify library if team decides not to participate in Battle of the Books.