2008 Battle of the Books Information

Information on the
2008 Battle of the Books
(Save the Dates!)

6th grade: Monday, March 3rd 2008 - 7PM
(Sewickley Academy's Hansen Library)
Booklist & Registration Form

7th & 8th Grade: Tuesday, March 4th 2008 - 7PM
(Sewickley Academy's Hansen Library)
Booklist & Registration Form

High School: Monday, March 10th 2008 6:30PM
(Sewickley Academy's Hansen Library)
Booklist & Registration Form

The Booklists for the Battle are now available:

on this Blog
at area school libraries
Moon Public Library
Sewickley Public Library

There will be no physical informational meetings this year. Instead, we'll interact virtually within this blog. You are encouraged to ask questions via the comments on each post. This will allow everyone to see your question and my answers. Hopefully this will allow busy teens and Team Managers to get all of the information that they need to participate successfully. If you have a question for me that you would not like everyone to see,
you can email me at gardnerm@einetwork.net.

-MAG

6th Grade: Find Your Battle Books in the Catalog

6th Grade

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel - Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud - Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summons up the djinni Bartimaeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from thepowerful magician Simon Lovelace.

The Boys of San Joaquin by D. James Smith - In a small California town in 1951, twelve-year-old Paolo and his deaf cousin Billy get caught up in a search for money missing from the church collection, leading them to complicated discoveries about themselves, other family members, and townspeople they thought they knew.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett - When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.

Earthquake at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory - A novelization of twenty-two-year-old photographer Edith Irvine's experiences in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, as seen through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Daisy, a fictitious traveling companion.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor - When she is cast out of Wonderland by her evil aunt Redd, young Alyss Heart finds herself living in Victorian Oxford as Alice Liddell and struggles to keep memories of her kingdom intact until she can return and claim her rightful throne.

Redwall: The Graphic Novel by Brian Jacques - When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney - Young Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, starts work as an apprentice for the village spook, whose job is to protect ordinary folk from "ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties."

Rodzina by Karen Cushman - A twelve-year-old Polish American girl is boarded onto an orphan train in Chicago with fears about traveling to the West and a life of unpaid slavery.

So B. It by Sarah Weeks - After spending her life with her mentally retarded mother and agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.

7th & 8th Grade: Find your Battle Books in the Catalog

7th & 8th Grade

Backwater by Joan Bauer - While compiling a genealogy of her family of successful attorneys, sixteen-year-old history buff Ivy Breedlove treks into the mountain wilderness to interview a reclusive aunt with whom she identifies and who in turn helps her to truly know herself and her family.

Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know about Fast Food by Eric Schlosser - Examines the fast food industry with facts about its evolution and practices, the effects of fast food consumption on public health, and the international success of fast food.

Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney - While conducting research for a school paper on smallpox, Mitty finds an envelope containing 100-year-old smallpox scabs and fears that he has infected himself and all of New York City.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card - A veteran of years of simulated war games, Ender believes he is engaged in one more computer war game when in truth he is commanding the last fleet of Earth against an alien race seeking the complete destruction of Earth.

Foundling by D. M. Cornish - Having grown up in a home for foundlings and possessing a girl's name, Rossamund sets out to report to his new job as a lamplighter and has several adventures along the way as he meets people and monsters who are more complicated that he previously thought. Includes glossaries and maps.

A Mango-shaped Space by Wenday Mass - Afraid that she is crazy, thirteen-year-old Mia, who sees a special color with every letter, number, and sound, keeps this a secret until she becomes overwhelmed by school, changing relationships, and the loss of something important to her.

Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks - Faced with the possibility of living with a dreadful aunt, fifteen-year-old Martyn Pig decides not to tell authorities when his alchholic father dies accidentally, instead asking a friend for her help in disposing of the body.

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher - Billy, recently deceased, keeps an eye on his best friend, fourteen-year-old Eddie, who has added to his home and school problems by becoming mute, and helps him stand up to a conservative minister and English teacher who is orchestrating a censorship challenge.

Straydog by Kathe Koja - Rachel, a teenager with a healthy dose of both aptitude and attitude, begins to feel at home volunteering at an animal shelter.

Tangerine by Edward Bloor - Paul Fisher is supposed to be legally blind, although he can see well enough to play soccer. When his family moves to Tangerine, Florida, Paul doesn't expect life to be much different. His brother Erik's football dream will dominate his parents' attention, and Paul will be forgotten. But Tangerine is different than Houston--really different.

High School: Find Your Books in the Catalog

Autobiography of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers - Jesse pours his heart and soul into his sketchbook to make sense of life in his troubled Harlem neighborhood and the loss of a close friend.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin - After fifteen-year-old Liz Hall is hit by a taxi and killed, she finds herself in a place that is both like and unlike Earth, where she must adjust to her new status and figure out how to "live."

Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos - The author relates how, as a young adult, he became a drug user and smuggler, was arrested, did time in prison, and eventually got out and went to college, all the while hoping to become a writer.

Never Let me Go by Kauzo Ishiguro - A reunion with two childhood friends draws Kathy and her companions on a nostalgic odyssey into their lives at Hailsham, an isolated private school in the English countryside, and a confrontation with the truth about their childhoods.

Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick - After being assigned to perform community service at a nursing home, sixteen-year-old Alex befriends a cantankerous old man who has some lessons to impart about jazz guitar playing, love, and forgiveness.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - Ninety-something-year-old Jacob Jankowski remembers his time in the circus as a young man during the Great Depression, and his friendship with Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, and Rosie, the elephant, who gave them hope.

What About BOB? Everything you need to know about the Battle of the Books

The Battle of the Books is a competition where teams made up of five teens read the chosen books and then participate in a trivia contest about those books. It’s a fun way to get some recreational reading done and actually get rewarded for it with some great prizes.

As a team, you need to assign the books to be read by the various team members. You can have each team member read two books, have all team members read all of the books, or some combination between. It’s up to you.

You will need to have a responsible person who’s 18 years of age or older to be your Team Manager. The Team Manager is there to help you get organized and provide transportation on the night of the event. Many teams ask a teacher, a parent, or their school librarian to be their team manager.

Here are some of the Rules about checking out Battle Books


1. Books may be borrowed for 1 week and renewed once.
2. A limit of 2 books is allowed on a team member’s card at any given time.
3. The books can only be borrowed on a library card belonging to a team member. Team managers should not check out books for their team members. Copies may be available through your school libraries, Sewickley Public Library, or Moon Public Library.
4. Overdue Fines are $.25 per day for Battle Books.
5. If the library doesn’t have the book because they’ve all been checked out, ask a reference librarian to order one for you from another library. (This service is free all the time.)

So what actually happens on the night of the battle you ask? Well here it is in a nutshell: You will need to arrive at the Hansen Library 15 minutes early so that you can sign in and set up your table. Each team will have a pad of paper, a pencil. Your Team Manager will actually be a Team Scorekeeper for another team to be named that night.

The Battle Moderator will begin by asking the first question twice. At the end of the second time, the Timekeeper will allow 20 seconds for teams to deliberate and write down their answers. After 20 seconds, one team will have the chance to answer out loud (the answering team will vary every question.) The Battle Moderator will announce the correct answer and the Team Scorekeepers will mark how many points were won. If your team answers correctly you get 4 points plus a bonus point if you can give the last name of the author. This means that each question is potentially worth 5 points. Answers must be specific. The moderator and judges will decide if an answer given is correct, and that decision is final. There will be three rounds with one question from each book per round.

At the end of each round, scorecards will be collected and verified. At the end of the third round, the Judges will tally all of the scores. If there is a tie, a special lightning round will take place between the tied teams. Once a clear winner has been made, the Battle Moderator will announce the winners. The top three teams will win prizes.

So, are you interested? To get started grab a booklist and a registration form. Both will be available on this blog and in the Teen Area on November 26th. You’ll need to find four friends in your grade group, find a responsible adult to be a Team Manager, create a name for your team, and start reading!!! All final registration forms are due Monday, January 28th at 9PM.

Tips for team Managers

Here are some tips for Team Managers. Of course you want your team to do well, but more important than that is that they all have fun. Here are some guidelines and tips to help you help them do well and have fun.

• Make sure that each team member understands which books on the reading list he/she is expected to read.
• Meet with the team regularly to offer encouragement, check on reading progress, foster team cohesiveness and to help team members learn author’s names and facts from books.
• Act as communication link between the library and team members and parents with all information regarding the Battle of the Books. Please keep us informed of any problems or changes. You may email Meghann at gardnerm@einetwork.net
• Make sure your team demonstrates sportsmanlike behavior before and during the battle.
• Make sure your team members and their families understand the rules of the Battle and expectations the evening of the Battle.
• Possibly provide transportation for your team members.
  
• Make sure they arrive on time at Sewickley Academy's Hansen Library (6th, 7th & 8th grade battles: 6:45, High School Battle: 6:15.)
• During the Battle each Team Manager will act as scorekeeper for another team. You will be asked to:
• Ensure that the team you are monitoring stops writing at the end of the 20-second time limit(whether answer is complete or not.)
• Record the number of points earned for each question.
• Remain focused on the team you are monitoring. (Please remember that these teens also need your encouragement.)
• Build Team Spirit
• Help them come up with a descriptive Team Name.
  
• Decorate team t-shirts.
• Have your team wear the same color or item of clothing to the Battle.
  
• Practice, Practice, Practice
• Decide who will read each book. You will probably want more than one person to read each title.
• Decide how often you will meet to discuss the books.
• Hold “mock” battles or “Jeopardy” style games based on the books.
• Have kids make up some of their own practice questions to quiz each other during the meetings.
• Coaches may want to read all the books.
• Seek to understand the characters and the setting of the books. Then, if the children have to guess on an answer they may be correct.
• Encourage and Reward
• Give words of praise and encouragement.
• Serve snacks at the meetings.
• Play a game before your meetings.
  
• Have a pizza party or ice cream outing at the completion of the Battle.
• Keep it fun and make happy memories!

Enjoy!!
-MAG