Battle of the Books

-
Battle of the Books is a reading competition designed to improve reading and comprehension while building enthusiasm for reading using a fun and unique competition format. Students will compete in teams to demonstrate their knowledge of ten preselected books.
-
2022 - 2023 Battle of the Books Titles
-
Amari and the Night Brothers
by B.B. Alston Year Published: 2021Amari believes. She believes that her missing brother is alive, and she will stop at nothing to prove it. When an unexpected package arrives telling her she will be trying out for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she jumps right in - into a world of magicians, aliens, and magic. Can she compete against other kids who have always known the supernatural world existed? Will she finally learn what happened to her brother? Read Amari and the Night Brothers to find out.
Becoming Muhammad Ali: A Novel
by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander Year Published: 2020Before he was a household name, Cassius Clay was a kid with struggles like any other. Kwame Alexander and James Patterson join forces to vividly depict his life up to age seventeen in both prose and verse, including his childhood friends, struggles in school, the racism he faced, and his discovery of boxing.
Blue Skies
by Anne Bustard Year Published: 2020Like the rest of America, tiny Gladiola, Texas, is caught up in the patriotic fervor awaiting the arrival of the Merci Train, the “thank you” train sent across the United States with gifts and surprises from the grateful people of France. And 11-year-old Glory Bea Bennett is convinced that her father will be one of those surprises. Everyone is ready to move on, but Glory Bea is still stuck in the past, waiting for the return of her beloved father who died a hero at Omaha Beach three years ago. After all, his Army buddy, Randall Horton, suddenly returns (although he is overstaying his welcome, as far as Bea is concerned), so why not her Daddy too? While she holds on to hope, Bea can’t grieve, and she is determined not to see the changes that are going on right under her nose. But change is coming for Glory Bea, whether she is ready for it or not, and it's breathtaking, heartbreaking, and joyful to walk beside her while it happens. The historical backdrop of post-war America and small-town life with all of its roses and thorns are a delightful bolster to this gentle read.
Distress Signal
by Mary E. Lambert Year Published: 2020A class field trip goes off track when the group is stuck in a flash flood. Separated from the rest of the group, two former best friends, a new best friend, and a boy that has secrets must learn to survive in the desert without adults and by putting aside their differences.
Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox
by Michael Buckley Year Published: 2020Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox tells the story of 11-year-old Finn Foley and his destiny to save planet Earth from the destruction of the villainous, alien army - the Plague. Finn finds himself as an unlikely hero
when he is literally pulled across the galaxy through a pink, unicorn lunchbox to come face to face with the leader of the Plague Army. Together with his arch-nemesis Lincoln and his crush Julep, they have to work Highbeam the robot to come up with a way to stop the invasion from happening and save the Earth. Along the way truths are uncovered, personal strengths, are realized, and a new mystery is unearthed about the
whereabouts of Finn’s dad. And did I mention there are blood thirsty unicorns that are part of the Merciless Herd?In The Red
by Christopher Swiedler Year Published: 2020Michael Prasad knows he shouldn’t go out on the Mars surface alone. It’s dangerous. His parents had forbidden it. And the anxiety he feels almost every time he puts on a spacesuit makes it nearly impossible for him to leave the safety of the colony. But when his best friend, Lilith, suggests they sneak out one night, he can’t resist the chance to prove everyone—including himself—wrong. As the two ride along the Mars surface in a stolen rover, miles from the colony, a massive solar flare hits the planet, knocking out power, communication, and navigation systems, and the magnetic field that protects the planet from the sun’s deadly radiation. Stranded hours from home with an already limited supply of food, water, and air, Michael and Lilith must risk everything if they’re to get back to the colony alive.
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero
by Kelly J. Baptist Year Published: 2020Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero is about a superhero kid who gets his powers from bowls of beans and rice. Boy, could the real Isaiah Dunn use some of those powers right now! Ever since Daddy passed away, he’s had to be the man of the house for Mama and his little sister, Charlie. He used to write poetry, but now, he just finds solace in reading the gold journals his dad wrote about his son as a superhero, while selling candy with his best friend, Sneaky. But he’s got a teacher who doesn’t like him, a class bully named Angel, and, worst of all, Mama is coping with her grief by drinking too much and isn’t keeping up with the rent. When his blocked words bubble up as aggressive frustration, his community--neighbors, barbershops, friends, a principal, and a librarian- -help Isaiah regain his childish optimism and find his poetic voice again. This character is a bright light, and this empathetic book deals with difficult topics like homelessness and depression as seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy.
Scritch Scratch
by Lindsay Currie Year Published: 2021Scritch Scratch is a ghost story about a less-than-friendly spirit, an I-believe-in-anything-but-ghosts-girl, and the events that will eventually bring them together. Claire is a scientist and doesn't believe any of that embarrassing ghost nonsense her dad is selling. One night, she is forced to help him on his ghost tour, and a very troubled spirit follows her home. Claire must overcome her fear of new situations and new people, while using her tried and true scientific method to solve the mystery of the ghost boy.
War Stories
by Gordon Korman Year Published: 2020Seventh grader, Trevor Firestone, whose 93-year-old great-grandfather, Jacob, fought in World War II, loves playing war video games. When Jacob is invited to return to France to be honored as the last surviving Allied veteran of the Battle of Ste. Régine, he invites Trevor and his father to accompany him. Trevor soon learns that there is a big difference from video games compared to real life and what the true meaning of a hero actually is. The book jumps back and forth between the trio’s adventure in the present day and the 1944 journey of then 17-year-old Jacob fighting in WWII Europe.
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor
by Ally Carter Year Published: 2020April had no idea her day was going to end the way it did when she entered the museum that morning. She didn’t mean to start the fire. She didn’t break the vase! Who would have thought that she would end up going to live in a huge mansion with other orphaned children? Getting used to Winterborne House is harder than she expected, especially when strange things start happening. April, along with her new friends, work together to uncover the hidden secrets of the house. Their future, and the future of Winterborne house, depends on it.