This spring, teams of fifth-grade students from more than 20 elementary schools across Chesterfield County got in formation for the annual Battle of the Books.
While the name may conjure images of a “Lord of the Rings” battlefield, the Battle of the Books is a fun and friendly competition that encourages students to celebrate and appreciate language arts, and engage with their school libraries leading into National School Library Month each April.
In a quiz bowl format, school teams buzz in to answer questions about twenty different books selected by elementary school librarians near the end of the previous school year. There are multiple rounds with different question types in a ranging degree of difficulty.
To compete, students have to read at least ten of the twenty books that were listed for battle. Not only do these young people dedicate their time to reading the books, they spend the year writing summaries, taking quizzes and practicing as a team to prepare. According to CCPS Library Services Specialist Lori Donovan, some students read all 20 books.
It’s a big commitment and their school communities are proud to let them show the fruits of their hard work. The participating schools host their respective Battle of the Books with an energetic and supportive school-wide assembly. Family members are also invited to attend and cheer on the teams.
There are no big cash prizes and no hard feelings. When the points are totaled, the battlers and their classmates know it’s all to celebrate the love of reading and each other.
“This is my favorite time of the year,” Lori said. “It’s really heartwarming to see so much excitement, sportsmanship and community inspired by their experience with books.”
The carefully curated list contains a variety of formats and genres, from long-chapter to graphic novels, to expose students to a rich range of writing. Some popular books from this year include:
“The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown – a graphic novel about a robot named Roz who wakes up alone on a remote, wild island and must learn to survive and uncover her mysterious past.
“El Deafo” by Cece Bell – a semi-autobiographical illustrated novel about how a deaf student at a new school turns her hearing loss into a superpower.
“Dogtown” by Katherine Applegate – a humorous illustrated novel about a shelter that raises stray dogs – and robot dogs!
In May, rising fifth graders in Chesterfield County will receive the list for next year’s competition and the journey to the Battle of Books will begin!