America's Battle of the Books is a voluntary reading incentive program for students in grades 3-12. The purpose is simply to encourage students to read good books and have fun while competing with peers.
Three Questions You Need To Answer Before Starting
- What book list do I want my students reading? There are 12, 20, 28 & 36 book lists. We suggest in the first year to use the 12 or 20 book lists.
- What will be the make-up of the teams? Usually if you are using the 12-book list you will have 3 person teams and each team member is responsible for 3 to 4 books on the book list. 20-book list there will be 4 person teams and each person responsible for 5 books. 28 or 36 book lists there will be 5 or 6 person teams, and each student is responsible for 5 to 7 books.
- When will the competition take place? Check your school calendar and find out what is the best time for the competition to be scheduled. Some schools do their competition before the holiday season while others do not start reading till after the 1st of the year and have their competitions in the spring. Try to keep the timeframe as short as possible in order to keep kids motivated and focused on the reading.
How Does A Student Participate?
A student participates by reading from the book list provided for that year's America's Battle of the Books. Students may count "books" they have read before. However, they cannot count books that they have only seen on a video or a movie. They must read the book. They should keep a summary so they can review this information before their "Local Battle."
Where Do The Students Get The Books?
School and public libraries may order copies of each book on the list, and local book stores will also have them available. Teachers and librarians may order copies of each book from wholesale distributors listed under 'Order Books' on the home page.
When Do The Students Read The Books?
The school battles are held between September and June of each school year. Times for local, district, or county competitions are decided by our members throughout the world and my vary depending on school calendars and the education goals of our members.
What Is The "Battle?"
A typical "Battle" is a full day tournament or game, like College Bowl or Family Feud, in which students' teams earn points by answering questions about the books on the book lists. A typical competition day begins with a meeting in the cafeteria, a morning snack and directions for the day. Then they are assigned to a team, given a mascot or name, and sent to their first round of the "Battle." They play several rounds, each against a different team. At the end of the morning, points are totaled and the two teams with the most points are invited to a "Grand Battle" after lunch, with the other teams as their audience. These two teams may be given the opportunity to participate in the regional "Battle" in April and also the statewide "Battle" usually held in May or June, if county and local participants in your area have organized state battles.
How Does It Benefit The Child?
The students gain knowledge and enjoyment from reading good books, sharing them with friends, parents and teachers, plus a fun day of playing in the "Battle."
What Does It Cost To Participate?
The only cost is an annual membership fee. We require that each school or group using our questions have a current America's Battle of the Books association member. An association member is typically a librarian, teacher, or designated parent. All of our questions are free, as well as most of our resources. When you fill out the membership form please send a check (we do not accept credit cards or purchase orders) with this form.
About Battle of the Books
America's Battle of the Books is a business partnership that serves students, families, and schools. No one receives a salary or profits from the service provided through America’s Battle of the Books. We exist solely to promote the enjoyment of reading and to strengthen the curriculum goals in America’s educational environment. Our financial profits are placed back into our business to promote our services and educational goals.
America's Battle of the Books owns all questions, logo, and trademark of America's Battle of the Books. No one may use or duplicate our logo, trademark, questions/rounds and/or information from our website without our written permission.