Battle of the Books

Who can participate? 4 th -5 th grade students Form teams of 4-6 students from the same grade level Everyone who wants to participate can

What’s it all about? It’s like a book club for students who love to read and discuss books Teams read from a list of 20 great books Teams meet often to share impressions, compare notes and master the details Teams compete in the spring

How do I sign up? Take home a registration form and talk it over with your parents (permission required) Talk to your friends - round up a team Recruit an adult team manager or coach to help you stay organized Turn in your team forms to Ms. Hodgson by October 1st

Champions: Lords of the Library

What books are on the list?

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot* by Gerald Morris King Arthur’s most famous and perhaps funniest knight takes the reader on some whacky adventures. *WAW nominee

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley The story of understanding and love between a boy and a magnificent, wild horse and the adventures and dangers they shared.

Chancey of the Maurey River* by Gigi Amateau Claire and Chancey both have challenges to overcome that strengthen their bond and inspire others. WAW nominee*

Dovey Coe by Frances O’Rourke Dowell Accused of murder in her North Carolina mountain town in 1928, Dovey Coe, a stronged-willed twelve- year-old girl, comes to a new understanding of others, including her deaf brother, as she attempts to clear her name.

Eleven* by Patricia Reilly Giff Sam discovers an old newspaper clipping just before his eleventh birthday that triggers childhood memories. His friend, Caroline, helps him build a castle for a for a school project and together they unravel the mysteries of his past.

Frindle by Andrew Clements Nick Allen decides to turn his fifth-grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her when he cleverly invents a new word. That begins a chain of events which quickly moves beyond his control.

Hachiko Waits by Leslea Newman Set in Tokyo, Japan, Professor Ueno has a special relationship with his dog, Hachiko. The loyal dog walks the professor to the train station every morning and meets him at the station every afternoon when he comes home from work. That all changes one day. Based on a true story.

Help! I’m A Prisoner in the Library by Eth Clifford Two girls spend an adventurous night trapped inside the public library during a terrible blizzard.

Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster and Possibly Save the World by Katherine Hannigan In Wisconsin, fourth-grader Ida B. spends happy hours being home-schooled and playing in her family's apple orchard, until her mother begins cancer treatment and her parents must sell part of the orchard and send her to public school.

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford A Siamese cat, an old bull terrier, and a young Labrador retriever travel 250 miles together through the Canadian wilderness to find their family.

Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path by Joseph Bruchac A biography of Native American athlete Jim Thorpe, focuses on how his boyhood education set the stage for his athletic achievements which gained him international fame and Olympic gold medals.

Loser by Jerry Spinelli Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech This story is told through a boy’s journal entries with his teacher who loves poetry and encourages her students to do the same. Both his writings and his understanding about life and poetry evolve over the course of the year-long dialogue.

The Man Who Loved Clowns by June Rae Wood Thirteen-year-old Delrita, whose unhappy life has caused her to hide from the world, loves her uncle Punky but sometimes feels ashamed of his behavior because he has Down syndrome.

Masterpiece* by Elise Broach The adventures of Marvin, the artistic beetle and James, the boy, take an interesting turn when they attempt to recover a famous drawing stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. * WAW nominiee

No Dogs Allowed by Bill Wallace Twelve-year-old Kristina, still struggling to come to terms with the death of her beloved horse, finds it difficult to accept the new dog she receives for her birthday.

The Secret School by Avi In 1925, fourteen-year-old Ida Bidson secretly takes over as the teacher when the one-room schoolhouse in her remote Colorado area closes unexpectedly.

Swindle* by Gordon Korman A swindling baseball card dealer meets his match when he tries to con Griffin Bing, a sixth grader with a plan and a team to implement it. *WAW nominee

Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges Ruby Bridges recounts the story of her involvement, as a six-year-old, in the integration of her school in New Orleans in 1960.

Time for Andrew by Mary Downing Hahn When he goes to spend the summer with his great-aunt in the family's old house, eleven-year-old Drew is drawn eighty years into the past to trade places with his great-great-uncle who is dying of diphtheria.

Battle of the Books