"Battle of the Books" 2009

"Battle of the Books" is a reading competition sponsored by local public libraries.

Here's how it works:

• Participating students from local elementary schools (grades 4 and 5) and middle schools (all grades) are asked to read 20 books.
• The students receive the lists in the spring and are encouraged to read the books during the summer break.
• The following spring, the students meet at the public library to practice answering questions based on the books they have read.
• The competition follows, first on the city level and then regionally against five other school districts.

"Battle of the Books" provides an alternative to athletic competition, exposes students to quality literature, fosters school spirit, and is a lot of fun.

Grades 4 & 5 (Title - Author)

• Kneeknock Rise – Babbitt, Natalie
• Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs - Birney, Betty G.
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - DiCamillo, Kate
• Phineas L. McGuire Erupts: The 1st Experiment - Dowell, Frances O’Roark
• My Side of the Mountain - George, Jean Craighead
• The Old Willis Place : A Ghost Story - Hahn, Mary Downing
• Joshua’s Song - Harlow, Joan Hyatt
• Bartlett and the Ice Voyage - Hirsch, Odo
• The Water Horse - King-Smith, Dick
• You Wish - Lethcoe, Jason
• The Magician’s Nephew - Lewis, C. S.
• Belle Teal - Martin, Ann
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh - O’Brien, Robert C.
• Clementine - Pennypacker, Sara
• I Freddy: Book one of the Golden Hamster Saga - Reiche, Dietlof.

Grades 6, 7 & 8 (Title - Author)

• Never Mind - Avi and Vail Rachel
• Tangerine - Bloor, Edward
• Code Orange - Cooney, Caroline
• Coraline - Gaiman, Neil
• The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn - Hoobler, Dorothy
• Hattie Big Sky - Larson, Kirby
• Black Duck - Lisle, Janet Taylor
• Rules - Lord, Cynthia
• All of the Above - Pearsall, Shelley
• The Wednesday Wars - Schmidt, Gary
• Schwa was here - Shusterman, Neal
• Interstellar Pig - Sleator, William
• Out from Boneville - Smith, Jeff
• The Mysterious Benedict Society - Stewart, Trenton
• Adam Canfield of the Slash - Winerip, Michael