Battle of the Books
SIX MONTHS. TWELVE BOOKS. ONE FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE.
Battle of the books is a team based reading program. Teams work together from October through April to read some or all of an assigned selection of 12 grade appropriate books. Throughout the year teams meet (roughly once a month) to discuss books and prepare for the final battle. In late April/early May teams will compete, trivia style, against other teams from their grade level as they answer questions about the 12 books. Does your team have what it takes to be crowned champion?
Logistics:
- Students will be put into teams of roughly 6-8 students. .
- Every effort will be made to place students on a team with at least one of their requested buddies.
- Each team will have a leader or co-leaders who will oversee the practices and help the team prepare for the final battle.
- Teams set their own meeting schedule - many teams decide to meet right after school but others choose to meet in the early evenings.
Benefits:
- Research shows that students in grades 3, 4, and 5, who spend time reading outside of school are more likely to become lifelong readers.
- Students who read outside of school are exposed to over a million more words than their peers and develop a more robust vocabulary.
2026 - 2027 Meeting Dates:
Sept 14 - 20: Registration window
Week of October 12th - Teams communicated to participants
Week of October 19th - Grade level kickoff meetings 2-3PM in Alden cafeteria
Throughout the Year - Teams meet on their own schedule. If you would like to use the school cafeteria to meet, space will be reserved by grade for one afternoon month. Specific dates and location to be determined.
Final Battles:
To be confirmed - expected the week of May 3rd.
3rd Grade Book List and Review Questions
4th Grade Book List and Review Questions
5th Grade Book List and Review Questions
Battle of the Books Team Leader Reference
Contact the Battle of the Books Coordinators at battleofthebooks@aldenpta.org with questions.
