Battle of the Books 2019-2020

1. 2019-2020

2. What is Battle of the Books? • The purpose of Battle of the Books is to encourage reading and expose students to quality literature. • There are 10 books in the competition that must be read by the competitors. • There will be a district wide competition second semester. • The format of the competition is quiz bowl style question and answer.

3. Battle of the Books Rules • Teams will consist of 6 members. There may also be one alternate. • Only grades 4 and 5 can compete. • Up to 6 students per team will compete per round, 20 questions per round. • Each competitor will be asked a question related to a specific book and will need to respond with the correct title. • 20 seconds will be allowed to start the answer. • The person answering may get help from the other team members.

4. In Order to Participate You Must: • Be in the 4th or 5th grade • Read books and prepare for competition. • Read at least 5 books by January 6th. • Continue reading the other 5 books. • Practice teamwork and good sportsmanship. • Receive no discipline referrals. • Attend practice sessions. • BOB Team Practice Sessions begin in January.

5. For the District Competition, only 6 (plus 1 alt.) students can be on the team so we may have to cut some students throughout the year. A few things we will look at when determining who we cut: • Reading books in a timely manner • Attitude • Sportsmanship • Attendance at practice sessions • Knowledge of books on the list • Each school may choose to have a School Competition and/or a point system to determine which students may advance to the District Competition.

6. Titles • Because of the Rabbit (Cynthia Lord) • Chester and Gus (Cammie McGovern) • Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes (Mary Lambert) • How to Steal a Dog (Barbara O’Connor) • A Key to Extraordinary (Natalie Lloyd) • The One and Only Ivan (Katherine Applegate) • Ranger in Time: Disaster on the Titanic (Kate Messner) • Steg Soto,Taco Queen (Jennifer Torres) • Wish (Barbara O’Connor) • Zane and the Hurricane (Rodman Philbrick)

7. Battle of the Books 2019 - 2020 2019 - 2020Book Summaries

8. Because of the Rabbitby Cynthia Lord On the last night of summer, Emma and her Maine game warden father rescue a small domestic rabbit stuck in a fence; the very next day Emma starts fifth grade after years of being home schooled, excited and apprehensive about making new friends, but she is paired with Jack, a hyperactive boy, who does not seem to fit in with anyone--except that they share a love of animals, which draws them together, because of the rabbit.

9. Chester and Gusby Cammie McGovern Chester hopes to follow in his mother's paw prints and become a service dog, but when a family with an autistic son adopts him, it's not exactly what Chester imagined, but he'll do whatever he can to prove he's the right dog for the job.

10. Family Game Night and Other Catastrophesby Mary Lambert Seventh-grader Annabelle's mother is a hoarder, and their whole house is full of canned goods, broken toys, fabric, and old newspapers--but when a pile of newspapers (organized by weather reports) falls on Annabelle's younger sister Leslie and their mother is more concerned about the newspapers, it sets off a chain of events that brings their fix-it-all grandmother in and Annabelle realizes that if there is any hope for change she can not isolate herself and keep her family's problems secret.

11. How to Steal a Dogby Barbara O’Connor One day Georgina has a home, a best friend, and plenty to eat. The next, she's living in a car with her mother and brother. Carrying on as usual isn't possible: washing up in a restaurant bathroom, doing homework by flashlight, losing her friend. Mom works two jobs, but it's not enough, so impatient Georgina decides to steal a dog, hoping to collect a reward. She picks her furry victim and makes careful plans--but she doesn't count on her conscience. In stripped-down, unsentimental prose, Georgina tells her own story, her words making clear her vulnerability and heartbreak as well as her determination and pride. It's puzzling why Mom doesn't seek outside help for her desperate family, and the appearance of wise Mookie, a sort of transient deus ex machina, verges on excess. Yet in the end, this is truly Georgina's story, and to O'Connor's great credit, it's Georgina herself who figures out what's right and does it.

12. A Key to Extraordinaryby Natalie Lloyd Twelve-year old orphan Emma Casey lives by a haunted graveyard in her Tennessee town, giving tours, and helping her brother and Granny Blue with the family bakery, and waiting for the destiny dream of her ancestors--but when it comes it shows her only a key, and she finds that she must solve a ghostly mystery that has haunted her town for generations.

13. The One and Only Ivanby Katherine Applegate Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home--and his own art--through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan's unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

14. Ranger in Time: Disaster on the Titanic by Kate Messner Everyone says the Titanic is unsinkable, and Patrick Murphy believes this most of all. He grew up near the shipyard where the magnificent ship was built and officially started working there when he turned thirteen. He's even been chosen to be part of the crew during theTitanic's maiden voyage! Ranger meets Patrick before the ship sets sail, and once on board, they befriend Maryam and Hamad. But one night, the ship hits an iceberg and starts to take on water. It's a race against time for Ranger and his friends to help get as many passengers -- including themselves -- off the ship before it's too late.

15. Stef Soto, Taco Queenby Jennifer Torres Mexican-American Stef Soto is hoping to break free from her overprotective parents and embarrassing reputation from her family's taco truck business, but she soon learns that family, friendship, and the taco truck are important and wonderful parts of her life.

16. Wishby Barbara O’Connor Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.

17. Zane and the Hurricaneby Rodman Philbrick Thirteen-year-old Zane Dupree and his trusted dog, Bandy, travel from their home in New Hampshire to New Orleans to visit his great-grandmother, Miss Trissy, the only link to the father who died before he was born. But almost as soon as they arrive, they are caught up in the turmoil of Hurricane Katrina, separated from family, and left on their own to survive. The pair weathers the storm in Miss Trissy’s attic, and they are rescued, via canoe, by Mr. Tru, a celebrated brass player, and his young charge, Malvina, with a story of her own. Together they face difficulties both natural and human, from terrifying swirls of snakes in the putrid floodwater to organized militia “protecting” affluent neighborhoods from looters.