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Battle of the Books: Information

Battle of the Books Rules - 2025

BOTB Results - March 2025

BOTB Winners - 2025

3rd Grade

1st Place - 

2nd Place - 

3rd Place - 

4th Grade

1st Place - 

2nd Place - 

3rd Place - 

5th Grade

1st Place - 

2nd Place - 

3rd Place - 

6th Grade

1st Place - 

2nd Place - 

3rd Place - 

General Information

Battle of the Books is organized by our local librarians to:

* Select 10 books per grade level to make this manageable and realistic 
* Add 1 new title per grade each year (remove 1 title)
* Include non-fiction as well as fiction material 

Here's an overview:

  • Librarians serve as the contact person and/or coach, but coaching could be run by a teacher, parent or other adult.
  • We recommend "scrimmages" along the way at your school to decide who will best represent your district.
  • The teams will be organized by the following grade levels:
    • Third Grade
    • Fourth Grade
    • Fifth Grade
    • Sixth Grade
  • Questions will be recall and recognition.
    • Please read the rules for more information
    • The questions for each grade level will be based on 10 books. The books have been carefully chosen by this, and previous, committees. We have chosen a blend of fiction and non-fiction to support the emphasis of building knowledge and reading texts carefully for comprehension and factual learning. 
    • There will be banners awarded to the winning schools for 1st through 3rd place

If there are more than 15 students per grade, it is up to the school to run "elimination" battles, since in-person teams going to SUNY Adirondack can have a maximum of 15 students. Battles compete in classrooms where there is limited space.

Grade 3 BOTB Titles for 2025

catching a storyfish
Because of Winn Dixie
A handful of stars
Moonshot
Nurse soldier spy
Phineas L Macguire erupts
The right word Roget and his thesaurus
Sarah plain and tall
Upside down magic
wildheart the daring adventures of john muir

Grade 4 BOTB Titles for 2025

Contenders book cover

Grade 5 BOTB Titles for 2025

The Lost Library book cover

Grade 6 BOTB Titles for 2025

Book cover for insignificant events in life of cactus

Print-Friendly Book Lists for 2025 by Grade Level

Suggested Planning Schedule

JUNE

  • Booklists available

SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

  • Determine who will coach

  • Begin to form teams

  • Begin reading!

  • Information Night for all coaches (October)

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

  • Continue reading!

  • Lunchtime and after-school discussions recommended

  • Get approval for transportation to the event in March

  • Finalize teams - registration of teams (December)

JANUARY

  • Teams are encouraged to practice with self-created questions

  • Continue reading!

  • Go over rules and explain how the day will be run

FEBRUARY

  • Complete reading of books

  • In-school practice battles

  • Select team captain (only the captains can speak for the team in competition). Choose alternate captain and team member(s)

  • Letters to school administrators will go out from WSWHE SLS

MARCH

  • District permission slips should be sent home for signature, if needed.

  • Let the games begin!

APRIL/MAY

  • Committee will meet to review competition and make suggestions for following year