Battle of the Books

Battle of the Books is a program that aims to encourage and motivate students to read while also promoting academic excellence and teamwork, broadening reading interests, and increasing reading competition.

How it works: A series of 16 books are selected for each division by state tournament organizers. The books are purchased by participating school libraries, usually via grant funds, and made available to students.

In the fall, students form teams of 4, each with its own coach. Students read the books, discuss them, quiz each other on the contents, then compete to correctly answer questions about the books in a quiz show-like format.

Teams will compete for the opportunity to be their school's representative at the district tournament in the spring. Students in grades 3-5 compete in one tournament, grades 6-8 in another, and grades 9-12 compete at another level.

2009-10 book lists

• Grades 3-5 (PDF)
  
• Grades 6-8 (PDF)
• Grades 9-12 (PDF)

Battle of the Books has achieved astonishing success as a reading incentive program: The 2008-09 Battle of the Books tournament attracted more than a third of all students in grades 3 through 8, and in 2009-10, nearly 1700 students, excluding alternates, participated in battles.

Watch the video on YouTube.

For more information about the Battle of the Books in Springfield, contact Paul Weill, 726-3455.