After careful consideration, the EY team has decided to revise Battle of the Books so that it is less competitive and more about critical thinking. We still hope to instill a love of reading, but make the responses to the literature more meaningful. The students will still be encouraged to read the 20 designated books. When they complete a novel, students will be able to choose from a list of activities to complete. Their products will be added to a Battle of the Books keynote that they will work on throughout the year. The EY coordinators will go into the classrooms during E/I time in the next couple weeks to show students how to download the keynote and activities onto their iPads. This keynote product will be part of their ticket into the district Battle of the Books seminar which will be held on Friday, March 13th, 2015. During this day long event, we will have several different activities for the students to participate in such as a quiz bowl, an author and/or illustrator visit, and several other creative contests. All activities will be a celebration of their accomplishment and love of reading.
If parents, teachers, or librarians are still interested in a traditional Battle of the Books competition, they are welcome to organize it.
Commonly Asked Questions
Q. Do I need to be in EY to participate?
A. No, any 3rd through 6th grade student who loves to read may participate.
Q. Do I need to form a team?
A. While the seminar won’t require a team, students are still encouraged to meet as a group and discuss the books. In the past, some schools have held discussions during lunch or after school.
Q. Do I have to read all the books to participate?
A. In order to be invited to the seminar, students must read and complete an activity for 10 of the 20 books. The activities and keynote can be found on our wiki (link below). NOTE: While reading all 20 books is not mandatory, students who read all of the books may have a better chance at the quiz bowl competition during the seminar.