Frequently asked questions
How are teams formed?
Teams are formed by the OBOB Planning Committee based on requests entered in the registration form. A grown-up should register their student via the registration link.
Do team members have to be in the same grade?
While most teams are made up of students in the same grade, teams can include students in any of the grades in a division (3rd-5th or 6th-8th).
How many students are on a team?
Teams are typically made up of four or five students but can participate with as few as two students.
How does it work if a team has five students?
In a given battle, a maximum of four students may participate. If a team has five members, the members can rotate between battles, or the fifth member can act as an alternate.
What is a battle?
A battle is a game in which student teams compete against each other and earn points by answering detailed questions about the books on the list.
How should our team prepare?
The best way to prepare is for students to read!
Preparation beyond that varies, but some ideas: reread books for detail; take notes on specific, concrete details; meet regularly as a team to learn how to work together; answer practice questions found online; have students write questions.
Cedar Mills Library (and other libraries) can be good sources for free online practice questions - visit our Resources page. Unofficial practice questions are also available for purchase online. Please be sure when using questions found online that they are for the current books, not books from previous years.
Does my student have to read all 16 books?
No, and most students do not read all the books! Books may be divided among the team members, but it is advisable to have at least one (and ideally two) students read each book.
What kind of adult participation is required?
Adult volunteers are needed to help run the school battles. Each team is asked to provide at least one volunteer who will be willing to help on the battle date. Additionally, all formed teams must identify their own coach in order to participate.
Additional questions?
Contact us at obob@beverlyclearyschool.org