MIDDLE SCHOOL BATTLE OF THE BOOKS OVERVIEW
Students in grades 6-8 interested in participating in the Middle School Battle of the Books can form teams of one or two people. Each team member must register separately using the Google form.
Click here to access the Book List
The Battle season kicks off on Monday, February 5, with the release of the booklist and the beginning of online registration. This is the first day Battle books will be available at the Library to checkout. Registration must be completed by Monday, March 18, to participate.
The first Battle will be conducted virtually and can be completed during a 3-day window in early April. (All individuals and 2-person teams who participate in the Virtual Battle will receive a Battle t-shirt!)
On April 16, there will be an in-person Semifinal/Qualifying Tournament at the Library to decide which teams will advance to the final battle round. The top 3 individuals and the top 3 teams from that Battle will advance to the Championship on Thursday, April 25.
**NEW THIS YEAR: The Library will now be offering bigger prizes and recognition for participants! The top-performing individuals and teams will receive prizes and commendations, enhancing the overall experience for the students. Prizes include:
-
1st place: $250 for their school library to purchase new books
-
2nd place: $150 for their school library to purchase new books
-
*Participation Award: The school with the highest participation rate receives $100 for book purchases
-
Battle of the Books Trophy for Teams: Engraved with the winning team's name and school, residing at the winning team's school until the next Battle of the Books program.
-
Additionally, the Library plans to do a special presentation of the check and/or Trophy with the winning team in front of the school or their classmates, recognizing their hard work and alignment with the school's commitment to academic excellence.
2024 Middle School Battle of the Books Schedule
February 5: Online Registration Opens
March 18: Online Registration Ends
April 1 - 7: Online Practice Battle (Open all week)
April 8 - 10: First Virtual Battle
April 16: In-person Qualifying Tournament & Battle Celebration
Come watch the top Battle of the Books contestants as they participate in a qualifying tournament to determine who will advance to the Championship Battle! Family and friends are welcome to come to the Library Auditorium to watch! Doors will be open at 4:00pm for the 4:30pm Battle start time. *PLUS - Join us after the Battle at 5:30pm as we celebrate all of our 2024 Middle School Battle teams! Light refreshments will be provided.
April 20: Battle Author Talk with Margi Preus
Margi Preus, author of the Battle Book "Heart of a Samurai," will present "Spies, Sleuths, Samurai and Scoundrels" on Saturday, April 20, at 2:00 pm in the Library Auditorium. Copies of her books will be available for purchase and signing after the presentation! In addition to our Battle Book, Margi is the author of "Village of Scoundrels," "Shadow on the Mountain," and "Windswept." She has also written several picture books, including "Lily on the Way" and "Storm's Coming." *Registration is not required. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
April 25: In-person Final Battle (Recorded by MCTV)
Join us as we livestream two exciting Jeopardy-style Battles on the big screen. We will be showing our 3 top teams and our 3 top individuals competing in back-to-back battles in the MCTV studio. The pair competition will begin at 4:00pm and the individual competition will begin at 5:00pm.
RULES AND INFORMATION
Participants can work independently or with one other person. The maximum size of a team is 2 people.
All participants will compete in the First Virtual Battle. The top 10 teams and the top 10 individuals will advance to the in-person Penultimate (Semi-final) Battle. The top teams/individuals in this round will compete in the in-person Final Battle.
If you don't make it to the Final Battle we encourage you and your team to watch MCTV's live stream or recoding of the Championship Battle!
HELPFUL HINTS FOR PARTICIPANTS
-
Remember, reading should - first and foremost – be enjoyable!
-
Read all 5 books so you can be ready for battle!
-
Keep notes for all of the books with the main characters, the important events, the settings, etc. listed below each title.
-
As you or your teammate read each book write down questions and share/quiz each other.
-
Every participant is a winner.