Prepare Thy Bookmark!
Students in grades 9-12 are challenged to read as a team and prove their valor by scoring the most points at a spring competition-- the Battle of the Books.
Forming teams of 8-12 readers, each team must collectively read 24 selected titles then correctly answer questions about those titles in a culminating, points-accumulating, quiz-style Battle of the Books with bragging rights and bookish prizes awarded to the highest scoring team. Who will claim the throne??
The competition emphasizes reading for enjoyment over solely academic purposes, and provides opportunities to participate in library activities with other students that enjoy a good book.
Battle of the Books: Design a Bag
Saturday, December 20 | 2pm - 4:30pm | Blasco Library Teen Space
Erie County Public Library's Battle of the Books is modeled after the Battle of the Books led by North East High School. Through a steadfast commitment to increasing a love of reading in her students, NEHS librarian Nicole Fitch hosted a huge, multi-county Battle of the Books from 2013-2020 (with the final Battle cancelled amid the pandemic). Much of the current Battle of the Books is taken directly from Ms. Fitch's work (with her blessing); we could not have done this without her support!
Following the pandemic, two area school districts kept the Battle of the Books alive and competed with each other: Fort LeBoeuf and General McLane. Their fighting spirit and continuation of the Battle led to a collaboration with Erie County Public Library, and served as evidence there is still an interest in the competition within the students of Erie County.
We humbly thank all those working to instill the love of reading with their students, and thank you for trusting Erie County Public Library with this initiative. Prepare thy bookmarks and let's get ready to read!