Battle of the Books is an optional book club opportunity for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. The clubs meet Thursdays from 3:00-4:00pm monthly in Teams to discuss, play games, and challenge each other as they focus on the books that each student is required to read. At the end of the second semester, each grade level book club is divided into teams to compete in a "Battle of the Books" which their entire grade level watches.
The link to our required informational meeting on Thursday, September 2nd from 3:00pm-4:00pm is posted in each grade level's Battle of the Books Team and was also emailed to the parents/guardians of all students who signed up by the deadline of August 30th.
PRIOR TO EACH MEETING
-Students must read one of the "Battle of the Books" books
(the books may be read in any order)
-They must write two questions, answers, and provide evidence
(including page numbers) about the events in the story
-They must post their questions, answers, and evidence to an online form no later than 8:00pm the night before our meeting.
-They have the opportunity to create Kahoot online games about the books
-They may create FlipGrid book talks about the books they read!
DURING EACH MEETING
-Students will ask each other questions about the book they last read beginning with a question starter word (who, what, when, where, why, how)
-Students will present quick "commercials" to tell others about the book they last read (including its genre, setting, characters, and general overview of events- without giving away the ending).
-Students will play online games that they, other students, and Mrs. Dickinson create to answer questions about their book.
FAQs
Which books do I need to read and when do the book clubs meet?
3rd Grade
1st Meeting: September 16th (first book)
2nd Meeting: October 14th (second book)
3rd Meeting: November 4th (third book)
4th Meeting: December 2nd (fourth book)
5th Meeting: January 6th (fifth book)
6th Meeting: February 10th (sixth book)
7th Meeting: March 17th (review)
8th Meeting: April 14th (practice battle)
9th Meeting: May 5th (Battle of the Books!)
Read each of these 6 books (in any order):
Aliens for Breakfast by Jonathan Etra
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
Good Grief Third Grade by Colleen McKenna
Miss Daisy is Crazy by Dan Gutman
Vacation Under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne
The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney
4th Grade
1st Meeting: September 23rd (first book)
2nd Meeting: October 21st (second book)
3rd Meeting: November 11th (third book)
4th Meeting: December 9th (fourth book)
5th Meeting: January 13th (fifth book)
6th Meeting: February 17th (sixth book)
7th Meeting: March 24th (review)
8th Meeting: April 21st (practice battle)
9th Meeting: May 12th (Battle of the Books!)
Read each of these 6 books (in any order):
Akiko on the Planet Smoo by Mark Crilley
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton
The Report Card by Andrew Clements
5th Grade
1st Meeting: September 30th (first book)
2nd Meeting: October 28th (second book)
3rd Meeting: November 18th (third book)
4th Meeting: December 16th (fourth book)
5th Meeting: January 20th (fifth book)
6th Meeting: February 24th (sixth book)
7th Meeting: March 31st (review)
8th Meeting: April 28th (practice battle)
9th Meeting: May 19th (Battle of the Books!)
Read at least 6 of the 8 books on this list
(but it is best to read all 8 to prepare for the battle)!
By The Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Curtis
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
Where do I get the books?
Our Learning Commons has plenty of print copies, many are available online as MackinVia e-books, and you may also borrow them from the public library. You may borrow one BoB book at a time.
Should I read them all as quickly as I can?
No! You won’t remember the details next semester if you read them all very quickly. Space them out and read other books as well!
Where do I submit my two questions about each book I read?
The form is linked to your BoB Team as a tab!
Students who are not reading, posting their questions, and/or participating in our meetings will not be able to continue on in the club.
The link to our required informational meeting on Thursday, September 2nd from 3:00pm-4:00pm is posted in each grade level's Battle of the Books Team and was also emailed to the parents/guardians of all students who signed up by the deadline of August 30th.
PRIOR TO EACH MEETING
-Students must read one of the "Battle of the Books" books
(the books may be read in any order)
-They must write two questions, answers, and provide evidence
(including page numbers) about the events in the story
-They must post their questions, answers, and evidence to an online form no later than 8:00pm the night before our meeting.
-They have the opportunity to create Kahoot online games about the books
-They may create FlipGrid book talks about the books they read!
DURING EACH MEETING
-Students will ask each other questions about the book they last read beginning with a question starter word (who, what, when, where, why, how)
-Students will present quick "commercials" to tell others about the book they last read (including its genre, setting, characters, and general overview of events- without giving away the ending).
-Students will play online games that they, other students, and Mrs. Dickinson create to answer questions about their book.
FAQs
Which books do I need to read and when do the book clubs meet?
3rd Grade
1st Meeting: September 16th (first book)
2nd Meeting: October 14th (second book)
3rd Meeting: November 4th (third book)
4th Meeting: December 2nd (fourth book)
5th Meeting: January 6th (fifth book)
6th Meeting: February 10th (sixth book)
7th Meeting: March 17th (review)
8th Meeting: April 14th (practice battle)
9th Meeting: May 5th (Battle of the Books!)
Read each of these 6 books (in any order):
Aliens for Breakfast by Jonathan Etra
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
Good Grief Third Grade by Colleen McKenna
Miss Daisy is Crazy by Dan Gutman
Vacation Under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne
The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney
4th Grade
1st Meeting: September 23rd (first book)
2nd Meeting: October 21st (second book)
3rd Meeting: November 11th (third book)
4th Meeting: December 9th (fourth book)
5th Meeting: January 13th (fifth book)
6th Meeting: February 17th (sixth book)
7th Meeting: March 24th (review)
8th Meeting: April 21st (practice battle)
9th Meeting: May 12th (Battle of the Books!)
Read each of these 6 books (in any order):
Akiko on the Planet Smoo by Mark Crilley
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton
The Report Card by Andrew Clements
5th Grade
1st Meeting: September 30th (first book)
2nd Meeting: October 28th (second book)
3rd Meeting: November 18th (third book)
4th Meeting: December 16th (fourth book)
5th Meeting: January 20th (fifth book)
6th Meeting: February 24th (sixth book)
7th Meeting: March 31st (review)
8th Meeting: April 28th (practice battle)
9th Meeting: May 19th (Battle of the Books!)
Read at least 6 of the 8 books on this list
(but it is best to read all 8 to prepare for the battle)!
By The Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Curtis
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
Where do I get the books?
Our Learning Commons has plenty of print copies, many are available online as MackinVia e-books, and you may also borrow them from the public library. You may borrow one BoB book at a time.
Should I read them all as quickly as I can?
No! You won’t remember the details next semester if you read them all very quickly. Space them out and read other books as well!
Where do I submit my two questions about each book I read?
The form is linked to your BoB Team as a tab!
Students who are not reading, posting their questions, and/or participating in our meetings will not be able to continue on in the club.
