Battle of the Books Reading incentive program developed for students grade 3-12 and implemented at schools in most states as well as abroad* * Davidson, J., & Blackmon, L. (2010). America's Battle of the Books. CSLA Journal, 34(1),

Rules of the game Teams of 4-6 students read approximately 5 books each from a pre-selected list and then compete against other teams During the competition teams answer questions in the form of: “In what book did………happen?” Teams discuss the answers with their captain They have limited time to give the correct book title and the author’s name With every missed answer the opposite team has a chance to steel points. Scoring: 5 points for correct title and 2 points for correct author * * Davidson, J., & Blackmon, L. (2010). America's Battle of the Books. CSLA Journal, 34(1),

Reception and results “It’s inspiring and rewarding to see students get so excited about reading and demonstrate such passion about reading competition!” Increase in participants’ reading speed, reading comprehension, and general interest in reading Participants made new friends and had lots of fun “I like reading now.” “BOB made me want to read more and expand reading genres.” * * Davidson, J., & Blackmon, L. (2010). America's Battle of the Books. CSLA Journal, 34(1),

BOB for reluctant readers Pre-select high interest books, including graphic novels Allow children to participate in the final book selections Arrange online blogging sessions for participants to discuss book selections and communicate with team members Allow teams to choose their signature names Award winners with appealing prizes Provide givaways and pizza to all participants during the competitions

BOB for reluctant readers Book selections Double the number of pre-selected book titles and ask children to choose the ones they find most appealing Post the titles on the blog and allow children to comment on them and discuss the potential choices with other participants

BOB for reluctant readers Preparation blog Allow children to socialize and communicate with their team members anytime via blog Make sure all blog users have permission slip filled out by their parents Monitor the blog

BOB for reluctant readers Permission slip Battle of the Books Blog Usage Permission Slip Dear Parent or Guardian, We have started preparation for Battle of the Books, a reading competition that is intended to increase children’s interest in literature and excitement about reading. We have created a blog website to help participants select their readings and communicate with their team members in order to prepare for the competition. We need your permission for the blog use of your child. We assure that the content of this blog will be frequently monitored by librarians and that no personal information besides first name or nickname of your child will be used. You can also visit this blog to verify its content at under the name “Battle of the Books.” Please, fill out the information below and sign the form. I give permission for my child to access and use the Twitter blog for the preparation to Battle of the Books competition. Child’s name: ___________________________ Parent’s signature: _____________________________ Date: _________

Results