Battle of the Books

Grades 4 – 8

Are you ready for a battle? In the winter, students in grades 4 – 8 may begin reading books on the book list in preparation for Battle Day. If you want to join a team, talk to any one of the library staff.

Grades 7 – 8 compete on Wednesday, February 15
Grades 4 – 6 compete on Friday, March 17

All the books on the 2023 book list are available for check out in the libraries. Participants should read as many of the books on the list as possible. Participants will receive a bookmark to use to keep track of the books they have read.

The book lists are available via the Bear Creek Libraries Catalog Resource Lists (open the Bear Creek Library Catalog and then find "Battle of the Books 2022-2023" on the Resource Lists tab). When viewing the books via the resource list, one can tell whether or not a book is available to check out.

Preparing for Battle of the Books

Book Tasting

Students in grades 4, 5, and 6 are invited to sign up for a Book Tasting on November 9. We will reveal the titles for this year's battle. Students will eat a snack and then "get a taste" of this year's amazing book list by reading short excerpts from several of the books. They can also be among the first to check out these books from our school library.

How to Sign Up and Participate

1. Students return the signed permission form and submit AR reports showing 70% accuracy or higher on three (3) Battle Books by February 10 (deadline extended!). Be sure to review the Parent Information Letter for additional details.
2. Participating students must read and submit AR scores for a minimum of three (3) additional Battle Books by March 10.

As you read books from the book list, you may (optionally) make a list of questions about each book. E.g., "In which book does a dog protect a wounded cat?" Questions should be composed without any proper nouns. These can be used for quizzing yourself and other students in preparation for the competition in the spring. Be sure you know the authors and titles of all the books on the book list.

Lunchtime Info Sessions

In February and March, grades 4 – 6 students will be invited to bring their lunches to the library once or twice to join in the fun of discussing the battle books and getting to know others who are planning to participate in Battle of the Books.

• Grade 4 will meet during lunch in the Ida Lairson Library
• Grades 5 and 6 will meet during lunch in the Kindel Library

The Battle

Grades 7 – 8 will conduct a battle on Wednesday, February 15.

Grades 4 – 6 teams will conduct a battle on Friday, March 17. In the morning, students will meet to review the rules, design team posters, and receive their first challenge. In the afternoon, the teams will compete by completing multiple rounds of quizzing conducted by a library staff member. The winning team will be announced at the end of the day.

About Battle of the Books

Battle of the Books (www.battleofthebooks.org) is a team-based reading incentive program that strives to nourish the hearts and minds of children with excellent literature. The program is introduced to Bear Creek's grade 4 – 6 classes in the fall and interested students should read from Bear Creek's designated book list which is a subset of the book list found at the official Battle of the Books site.

Mission of Battle of the Books

We are a values-based organization whose purpose is to nourish the hearts and minds of children with excellent literature. We believe children are a gift from God and should be encouraged and given the opportunity to develop their potential through the discovery of reading.

Our aim is to support students in their love and discovery for reading by introducing them to quality literature, to offer books that build upon historical values and the dignity of life, and to develop friendships between students based upon socialization, competition, and mutual respect.

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Katy Steinkraus (mainlibrary@tbcs.org).