Battle of the Books
Sponsored by MPS Library Services
2015-16
Sponsored by MPS Library Services
Battle of the Books
Contents
PROMOTING BATTLE OF THE BOOKS @ YOUR SCHOOL ...................................................................................2
HOW TO GET STARTED @ YOUR SCHOOL ........................................................................................................3
HOW TO CONDUCT A “BATTLE” ......................................................................................................................4
DISTRICT / REGIONAL LEVEL RULES & PROCEDURES ........................................................................................6
BATTLE BOOKS ...............................................................................................................................................9
PARENTAL/CUSTODIAL GUARDIAN FORM .................................................................................................... 10
BATTLE BOOKMARKS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11
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PROMOTING BATTLE OF THE BOOKS @ YOUR SCHOOL
The success of the Battle of the Books program at your school depends on your enthusiasm and publicity. As
much as you can, enlist the support of your principal and colleagues by introducing and promoting the program
at staff meetings. Here is a list of strategies used by some Resource Center Specialists to promote the program.
Feel free to use any or all as you choose.
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Add information about The Battle of the Books to your school announcements.
o Have a countdown before each battle, “30 days ‘til Battle Time”
o Have a daily or weekly “Battle” question
Add information about The Battle of the Books to your parent newsletter and to the local community
newspaper.
Encourage “friendly” competition between classes by having one or two teams from each teacher at the
5th grade and 6th grade level.
Suggest that teachers use some of the titles for literature studies in their classrooms.
Help your school teams succeed!
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Suggest that students take notes as they read by using: sticky notes directly in the book, a notebook
style journal with notes listed by page numbers or flash cards made on notecards.
Open your school library at lunchtime for teams to read and study together.
Set up a review session a few days before each “Battle”.
Have other classes come to observe the school competitions.
o This encourages students to take the program seriously and will also generate interest and
possible further involvement in the program from those in the audience.
o It also gives your current teams experience in doing a competition in front of an audience which
will assist them at the District & Regional Championships.
Use a reward point system to encourage participating students to READ ALL OF THE BATTLE BOOKS. For
example:
o For participating in each battle: Battle of the Books ribbon
o For a grand total score of ____ points: = pencil, key chain, pin, etc.
o For a grand total score of ____ points = dessert
o For a grand total score of ____ + points = pizza party
Other ideas could include most improved team or a prize for the members of the winning team for each
competition.
Battle of the Books T-shirts! Schools may choose to purchase T-shirts for Battle of the Books
participants. In some cases only the students participating in the district battle receive them.
To purchase T-shirts, use the resources available to you (PTO, student council, local businesses).
Order the standard Battle of the Books T-shirts from B.C. Distributors at (480) 831-9970 or you
may design your own and use any vendor.
All of this is up to you. You know the resources available to you (PTO funding, local businesses, etc.)
AND you know the needs of your students!
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HOW TO GET STARTED @ YOUR SCHOOL
1. Market the Program.
2. Pick dates for three competitions (“Battles”) at your school, in November, January and March/April.
Establish your school teams.
a. All formation of the teams and accountability for scores rests with the school.
b. Participation in Battle of the Books is VOLUNTARY.
c. Team size is limited to three (3) students currently enrolled in either the 5TH or 6TH grade at
the participating school. Teams of two (2) students ARE allowed.
d. Once the first competition has begun, team members may not be changed.
e. If a team member is absent on the day of the competition or has dropped out of the
program, the remaining team members must continue without him/her.
EXCEPTION: If a team member has moved away or become incapacitated, an alternate (not currently on any
team) may be used for the rest of the Battle of the Books program. Alternates may not be used to fill in for team
members who are absent on the day of competition or for members who have quit the program.
3.
Run your school battles!
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HOW TO CONDUCT A “BATTLE”
1. Set-Up
Have the teams sit facing the questioner and timekeeper. Teams should have a team sign with the team number
clearly visible to the person asking the questions. Resource Center Specialists running the battles need:
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One (1) questioner & battle questions
One (1) score keeper & score sheets
One (1) time keeper & stopwatch
One copy of each book title covered in the Battle to consult for challenges
Pencils
2. Questions
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The Question Reader is the only person permitted to view the questions. Using the questions as
an aid to prepare for any of the battles is strictly prohibited.
Thoroughly shuffle the questions before the battle begins. Be sure to keep Phase I and Phase II
questions separate.
Use the questions once during a competition.
o Questions are re-used during the District Championship, and the Regional Championship.
o NEW questions are added at the Regional Championship.
3. Team Members
Teamwork is emphasized in each of the three battles (competitions). Team members are urged to discuss their
answers, and to use their time wisely. The team spokesperson gives the answer and should sit in the middle
position.
HINTS:
 Teams should memorize the titles and the author’s last name. It’s the one thing they have control over
and can really help them earn points.
 Teams should guess if they are unsure of the answer as no points are taken away for incorrect
responses—they just may come up with the correct answer!
4. The “Battle”
There are 2 “Phases” to each battle. Phase 1 has five (5) rounds; Phase 2 has three (3) rounds. You may choose
to have four rounds of Phase 1 questions instead of five. If you have more than 15 teams you should hold 2
battles at separate times using the same question set again.
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Phase One Script for Resource Center Specialist:
Read the blue script to students prior to beginning the battle competition. Text in black italics SHOULD NOT be
read aloud 
There are two Phases to each competition. We are ready to begin Phase 1.
There will be five (5) rounds of questions in Phase 1 of the competition. Eight (8) points are awarded
per round for a total of forty (40) possible points. Once the question is completed, teams have 30
seconds to begin their answer with a 5-second warning. If a team has not started their answer by the
timed 30 seconds, the score for the round is zero (0).
Questions will be given to your team in the order you are sitting. The judges will accept only the first
answer you give, so be sure to agree on an answer before it is given and only the team’s
spokesperson gives the answer.
Phase 1 questions begin; “In what book . . .” The answer must be the exact title for five (5) points.
Three (3) bonus points are awarded for the author’s last name. Bonus points are given for first and
last names OR last names only of the authors.
Expect students to include “the” on appropriate titles, but do not count the title wrong if “the” is missing or not
pronounced clearly.
Incorrect pronunciation of an author’s last name will not result in loss of points, provided the correct
author’s name is given and that pronunciation is close to correct. No bonus points are given if the
title is incorrect.
I will now read the titles and the authors of the four books you have read for this competition.
Read the titles and authors of the books but be sure to put the books aside so students cannot read the
titles/authors off the cover during the competition.
Correct answers to questions WILL NOT be given. You will be told, “That is correct,” or “That is
incorrect.” If you believe your answer was correct, but it was judged incorrect, you must
immediately say “Challenge.” At that time we will look up the answer and read it to you from the
book or we will ask you to find your answer in the book to prove your challenge (within a 3-minute
time limit).
Students, you ARE NOT allowed to talk or distract any other teams during the competition. Teams
must listen closely to their questions. If a team needs to have a question repeated time is not
stopped. Students causing a disruption to the battle will immediately be asked to leave and will not
be allowed to complete the battle competition.
Are there any questions before we begin?
Let’s begin Round 1 of Phase 1. Team 1 this is your question…
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5. The “Battle” Phase Two Script for Resource Center Specialist
Read the blue script to students after all five (5) Phase One rounds are completed. Text in black italics SHOULD
NOT be read aloud 
There will be three (3) rounds of Phase 2 questions. Each question is worth ten (10) points for a total
of thirty (30) possible points. Teams have twenty (20) seconds to begin to answer a brief, factual
question. There will be a 5-second warning, but if a team has not started their answer by the timedtwenty (20) seconds, the score for the round is zero (0).
Each question begins; “In the book . . .” Your answer must be as close to accurate as possible. You
may be asked to be more specific.
Let’s begin Round 1 of Phase 2. Team 1 this is your question…
6. Tie-Breaker (Battle 3 Only)
In the event of a tie, the rounds will continue with each team that has tied. Each team must answer a different
question. At the end of the round, if the teams have answered correctly, then continue with a new round until
one of the teams does not answer correctly. A winner is declared when one team has answered a question
correctly but the other team(s) has not. The team who answered correctly wins the tie-breaker.
7. Scoring
The Resource Center Specialists will keep cumulative scores for all teams. The top team from each school will
continue on to the City Championship.
DISTRICT / REGIONAL LEVEL RULES & PROCEDURES
1. Eligibility:
Battle of the Books is open to students in the fifth and sixth grades only. Each participating school will send their
highest-scoring team to the District’s Semifinals (if the District has too many teams to battle at one time) or to
the District Battle. The three (3) top-scoring teams from the District Battle will go on to participate in the
Regional Battle.
2. Repetition of questions:
Teams have the right to ask for a question to be repeated but time will continue while the question is re-read. If
time should expire during the repetition of the question, the team will not be allowed to answer it.
Exceptions to this rule will be made if the presenter must repeat the question after making an error while
reading it aloud the first time. Time will begin after the question has been read correctly.
3. Number of rounds in a competition:
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Each team will be asked eight questions. The first five will be Phase I questions and the last three will be Phase
II.
4. Phase I questions:
Teams will have thirty seconds to collaborate on both the title and the author of the books for Phase I questions.
Five points will be given for the correct book title. Three points will be given for the correct author. No score is
earned for giving the author’s name unless the book title is given first.
Example: In what book did a spider spin words into a web?
5. Phase II questions:
Teams will have twenty seconds to collaborate on the answer to Phase II questions. Ten points will be given for
the correct answer. No bonus points are awarded for naming the author. Phase II questions are short, factual
ones.
Example: In Where the Red Fern Grows, what were the names of the dogs?
6. Time warning:
The timekeeper will start timing teams as soon as the question is read, timekeeper will give a five-second
warning to each team. When “time” is called, no answer from the teams will be accepted, except for teams who
have already begun to answer the question. However, responses such as, “Er…” “Uh…” or “Um…” will not be
counted as part of the team’s response, if time expires.
7. Team spokesperson:
Each team consists of three students. Each team will select a spokesperson in advance of the competition. The
spokesperson will give the answers during the competition.
8. Conduct of teams:
Each member of a team is expected to represent his or her school by being on his or her best behavior. Talking
out of turn or demonstration of poor sportsmanship, especially while a question is being read, may result in loss
of points or disqualification of a team. Any complaints must be made before the next round of question begins.
Decision of the judges will be final.
9. Titles and authors:
Book titles must be worded exactly (Example: The Castle in the Attic.) If the pronouncer is unsure they heard
the team give the title correctly, the pronouncer may ask the team to repeat the title. The REPETITION will be
the title used for determining the answer correct. Both first and last names OR last names of authors will be
acceptable. Incorrect pronunciation of an author’s last name will not result in loss of points, provided that the
correct author’s name is given and that the pronunciation is close to correct. Incorrect first name but correct last
name will be considered correct.
10. Providing correct answers:
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At district and regional levels, when incorrect answers are given, the correct answers will be provided. The
question will not be passed to the next team. The pronouncer will answer, “That is correct”, if a satisfactory
answer has been given.
11. Judging responses:
If an answer is given that differs in some way from what is written on the card, but the pronouncer still thinks it
may be correct, the pronouncer will pass the decision to the judges.
12. Challenges:
Teams have the right to challenge answers declared incorrect by the pronouncer and/or judges, if they are
certain they gave a correct response. Challenges must be made immediately (before the next team is given its
question) for an answer to be reconsidered by the judges. At that time the judges will look up the answer in the
book and read it aloud or the team will have 3 minutes to find their answer in the book to prove their challenge.
Challenges may only come from the team who received the question. Audience members may not challenge.
Decisions of the judges will be final.
13. Handling of the questions:
Questions are arranged randomly and will be asked in the order provided. Since the difficulty of the questions is
predetermined, complaints about the order of the questions will not be accepted and can result in the
disqualification of a team.
14. Late arrivals:
At the district and regional levels, if all teams are not present by the designated starting time of the competition,
we will wait five minutes to begin the Battle. Teams arriving after the five-minute period will be allowed to join
the competition in progress, but will not have the opportunity to “make up” any missed rounds of questions.
15. Ties:
If there is a tie, the competition will be continued until winning teams have been determined. There will be first,
second, and third-place winners. The winners of the district competition will go on to compete at the regional
level. When 1 team misses a question during tie-breaker rounds, the remaining teams must answer the next
question(s) correctly in order for the first team to be dropped.
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BATTLE BOOKS
For Mesa Public School District
BATTLE 1
BOOK TITLE—AUTHOR
# OF PAGES
GENRE
APPEAL
Hatchet – Gary Paulsen
195
Adventure
Survival!
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Bruce Coville
148
Fantasy
Dragons!
Poppy – Avi
146
Animal Fantasy
Adventurous Mouse!
Ella Enchanted – Gail Carson Levine
232
Fantasy
Fairy Tale
Total Pages
721
BATTLE 2
BOOK TITLE
# OF PAGES
GENRE
APPEAL
Riding Freedom- Pam Munoz Ryan
138
Historical Fiction
Uplifting story
Because of Winn-Dixie-Kate DiCamillo
182
Realistic Fiction
Heart-warming
City of Ember – Jeanne DuPrau
270
Fantasy/SciFi
Dystopian
Chasing Vermeer – Blue Balliett
272
Mystery
Art mystery
Total Pages
862
BATTLE 3
BOOK TITLE—AUTHOR
# OF PAGES
GENRE
APPEAL
Rules – Cynthia Lord
200
Realistic Fiction
Captain Nobody – Dean Pitchford
195
Adventure
Autism/Family
issues
Funny!
Doll Bones – Holly Black
244
Fantasy
Scary!
The Unwanteds – Lisa McMann
390
Fantasy
Dystopian
Total Pages
1029
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PARENTAL/CUSTODIAL GUARDIAN FORM
Dear Parent or Guardian,
The Battle of the Books Program is a VOLUNTARY reading competition designed to promote the love and
appreciation of reading to elementary school fifth- and sixth-grade students. Battle Books are selected based on
the recommendations from school and public librarians; we are proud of our recommended titles for this
program, and believe they all have a degree of literary value. The aim of this program is to encourage students
to read a variety of books and remember information about the plots, characters, and settings of the books.
Teams consist of three students apiece; a team of two students is acceptable, as long as it is understood that
another member may not be added to the team after the first competition has begun unless a team member
moves away. Replacements cannot be from another team. All formation of the teams and accountability for
scores rests with the school librarian. As a model for your child’s behavior, we ask all parents who wish their
child to participate in this VOLUNTARY program to agree to the following conditions:
1) Transcribing questions is prohibited.
2) Audible prompting from the audience is prohibited.
3) Videotaping of a Battle is NOT allowed to maintain the integrity of the competition.
4) Only members of the team receiving a question can challenge the question. The challenge must occur
immediately upon finding that an answer is incorrect.
5) Team members may not enter or exit the competition area during a round.
6) All decisions of librarians and judges are final. There are NO challenges after the battle.
Return signatures below to the school and keep the information above. Thank you!
NOTE: Schools keep all signature forms & bring them with them to each battle.
My Student and I agree to participate in the MPS Battle of the Books program as noted above.
Printed Name, Signature & Date:_____________________________________________
Student
Printed Name, Signature & Date: _____________________________________________
Parent / Legal Guardian
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Battle of the Books
2015-16
Battle of the Books
2015-16
Battle of the Books
2015-16
Battle of the Books
2015-16
Battle I
Battle I
Battle I
Battle I
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
by Bruce Coville
Poppy
by Avi
Ella Enchanted
by Gail Levine
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
by Bruce Coville
Poppy
by Avi
Ella Enchanted
by Gail Levine
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
by Bruce Coville
Poppy
by Avi
Ella Enchanted
by Gail Levine
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
by Bruce Coville
Poppy
by Avi
Ella Enchanted
by Gail Levine
Battle II
Battle II
Battle II
Battle II
Riding Freedom
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
Chasing Vermeer
by Blue Balliett
Riding Freedom
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
Chasing Vermeer
by Blue Balliett
Riding Freedom
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
Chasing Vermeer
by Blue Balliett
Riding Freedom
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
Chasing Vermeer
by Blue Balliett
Battle III
Battle III
Battle III
Battle III
Rules
by Cynthia Lord
Captain Nobody
by Dean Pitchford
Doll Bones
by Holly Black
The Unwanteds
by Lisa McMann
Rules
by Cynthia Lord
Captain Nobody
by Dean Pitchford
Doll Bones
by Holly Black
The Unwanteds
by Lisa McMann
Rules
by Cynthia Lord
Captain Nobody
by Dean Pitchford
Doll Bones
by Holly Black
The Unwanteds
by Lisa McMann
Rules
by Cynthia Lord
Captain Nobody
by Dean Pitchford
Doll Bones
by Holly Black
The Unwanteds
by Lisa McMann
Be a part of the book
battle of the year!
Be a part of the book
battle of the year!
Be a part of the book
battle of the year!
Be a part of the book
battle of the year!
Fifth and sixth grade students will
be teamed in groups of three to
compete and test their memories
in three exciting school-wide
competitions during the school
year.
Fifth and sixth grade students will
be teamed in groups of three to
compete and test their memories
in three exciting school-wide
competitions during the school
year.
Fifth and sixth grade students will
be teamed in groups of three to
compete and test their memories
in three exciting school-wide
competitions during the school
year.
Fifth and sixth grade students will
be teamed in groups of three to
compete and test their memories
in three exciting school-wide
competitions during the school
year.
Team members will be assigned 4
different books to read for each
competition. The highest scoring
team from each school will
represent their classmates at the
Maricopa County Library System’s
District Finals.
Team members will be assigned 4
different books to read for each
competition. The highest scoring
team from each school will
represent their classmates at the
Maricopa County Library System’s
District Finals.
Team members will be assigned 4
different books to read for each
competition. The highest scoring
team from each school will
represent their classmates at the
Maricopa County Library System’s
District Finals.
Team members will be assigned 4
different books to read for each
competition. The highest scoring
team from each school will
represent their classmates at the
Maricopa County Library System’s
District Finals.
The TOP team (1) that wins at the
District level will go on to compete
with other cities in the Regional
Battle between Chandler, Deer
Valley, Gilbert, Mesa, Higley, and
Queen Creek/Combs
The TOP team (1) that wins at the
District level will go on to compete
with other cities in the Regional
Battle between Chandler, Deer
Valley, Gilbert, Mesa, Higley, and
Queen Creek/Combs
The TOP team (1) that wins at the
District level will go on to compete
with other cities in the Regional
Battle between Chandler, Deer
Valley, Gilbert, Mesa, Higley, and
Queen Creek/Combs
The TOP team (1) that wins at the
District level will go on to compete
with other cities in the Regional
Battle between Chandler, Deer
Valley, Gilbert, Mesa, Higley, and
Queen Creek/Combs
To Sign Up,
Contact Your School Librarian!
To Sign Up,
Contact Your School Librarian!
To Sign Up,
Contact Your School Librarian!
To Sign Up,
Contact Your School Librarian!
Don’t miss the fun and excitement
Don’t miss the fun and excitement
Don’t miss the fun and excitement
Don’t miss the fun and excitement
Sponsored by MPS Library Services
Sponsored by MPS Library Services
Sponsored by MPS Library Services
Sponsored by MPS Library Services