Battle of the Books, America’s #1, nationwide, reading incentive program, will soon launch at Monte Vista Elementary for the 2023/24 school year. The Battle Dates will take place are TBA. The purpose of Battle of the Books (BOB) is simply to encourage students to read good books and have fun while competing with peers. Your children may be coming home with new books, book lists, story maps and excitement about battles in March. Here is a short explanation of Battle of the Books for Monte Vista parents so you can share in your children’s reading and battling excitement.
Who Participates: All 3-6 graders are invited to participate and are assigned to a BOB team.
Teams: Each student will be put on a BOB team, which consists of 4-5 students in their class. Each team has a diversity of reading levels between students.
Book Lists: There is a 20 book list for 3rd-4th graders and a 20 book list for 5th-6th graders. These book lists are generated each year by the Battle of the Books organization and contain a mix of classics and new literature. Each student will be given a laminated book mark listing the 20 books for their grade. The list below contains books from 2023-24 book list.
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3rd and 4th Grades |
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The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate |
Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare by Gene Barretta |
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume |
Bobbie the Wonder Dog: a true story by Tricia Brown |
Tornado |
The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catline |
Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary |
Frindle |
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies |
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo |
Phineas L. MacGuire…Erupts!: The First Experiment by Frances Dowell |
Boxes for Katje by Candace Flemming |
The Infamous Ratsos by Kara LeReau |
Nim's Island |
Clementine |
Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka |
I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919 by Lauren Tarshish |
Boxcar Children |
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White |
You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter |
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5th and 6th Grades |
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The White Mountains (Tripods Series #1) by John Christopher |
Ice Magic by Matt Christopher |
Who Was Neil Armstrong? by Roberta Edwards |
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George |
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein |
Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones |
Masterminds by Gordon Korman |
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine |
The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale |
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry |
The Mad Wolf’s Daughter by Diane Magras |
Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull |
Wonder by R.J. Palacio |
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen |
Scared Stiff by Willo Davis Roberts |
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan |
Holes by Louis Sachar |
Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team by Audrey Vernick |
Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles |
The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop |
Get a Printable version HERE
Book Assignment: This year we have decided to let the students PICK their books instead of having the teachers assign them! Students are encouraged to read as many books as they are able. The more books team members read, the stronger the team will be during the battles in March.
Reading: BOB books may be read individually by the student, by a parent as a read-a-loud, or listened to as an audio book. Once your child completes the book, they will fill out a story map and receive reading incentive prizes (raffle ticket for a weekly prize mobile drawing, book buttons, prize from the BOB prize alley).
Battle Week: The 2023/24 March Madness battle week is TBA. With the help of parent volunteers and teachers, 3rd and 4th grade teams will battle Monday and Tuesday mornings. 5th and 6th grade teams will battle Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Based on points earned, the top two teams from each group will advance to the final battle on Friday, which will take place during a BOB school assembly.
Battles: Each battle consists of two teams and a judge who will ask 20 questions about any of the 20 books on the BOB book list. The team must answer with both book title and author to get full points for the question. Partial points are given for a correct title but an incorrect author (or visa versa).
Sportsmanship: In addition to motivating reading and a love for books, BOB teaches sportsmanship. Losing is hard. Every battle will result in a winner and loser. Participation in Battle of the Books gives the students opportunities to develop stronger sportsmanship skills.
Grand Prize: 60 students will be given the opportunity to attend an in-school field trip on TBA to Obstacle Warrior Kids in Sandy. These 60 students will include students who: advanced to the final battle (4 teams), read all 20 books, or showed good sportsmanship and/or leadership.
We are excited to have Battle of the Books at Monte Vista for many years to come. This reading program has the ability to increase the reading skills and love of books of our children. Any questions you may have regarding Battle of the Books may be directed to Jenn Goff at nenner22@gmail.com . You can also find more information about Battle of the Books at their website: battleofthebooks.org