It’s official! Oregon Battle of the Books season is underway. Committed readers have been working their way through this year’s lists already, and at elementary, middle, and high schools across the state, teams are forming; they’re choosing names, divvying up titles, and setting up practice schedules.
My 3rd grader is finally old enough to participate in the youngest division, and he’s pretty excited about it. His team had their first practice last weekend. They’re called The Flaming Dictionary Detectives. Which is an excellent name, if I do say so myself.
But before we get too far, let’s fill everyone in! The Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) is an annual celebration of books and reading in which students read books from carefully selected lists, form teams, and compete to see which teams can answer questions about the books correctly, quiz-show style. These competitions are called “battles,” and the battles take place at the school, regional, and statewide level. OBOB is run by volunteers and is organized by the Oregon Association of School Libraries.
OBOB is divided into three age groups: 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, and 9th-12th grade. Each age has a list of age-appropriate books from which the questions will be drawn, and each age group has a state champion. As it says on their website, “OBOB’s mission is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and to promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students.”
So anyway, I love that my 8-year-old and his friends are into it, and I’m grateful to the parent volunteers who are running the program at our school. But not every school participates, not every kid goes to a conventional school, and not every person who loves reading is interested in competing.
And that is where UBOB comes in.
UBOB is the Unofficial Battle of the Books, created by JCLS to approach the OBOB concept from a do-it-yourself direction. UBOB uses the same book lists and same types of quiz questions but opens it up for participants to engage however they want to. Readers choose at least five books from any of the year’s lists, track their reading, and earn an exclusive lightning bolt pin, as well as chances to win a bookstore gift certificate. All the details are on the JCLS website, along with learning resources and a chance to vote for your favorite of this year’s OBOB/UBOB books. My favorite so far is The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett. I think my son’s favorite is The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat.
Your Jackson County Libraries have many copies of OBOB books from this and prior years, both to support the OBOB/UBOB kids and because they are really good books, selected by educators and librarians, that represent a range of genres and perspectives. The titles are chosen to appeal to a wide variety of readers, so there is something for everyone. Beyond the competitions, OBOB book lists make great tools for selecting titles for the kids in your life, especially if they’re looking for something that is different from what they’re used to reading.
So whether you are a die-hard OBOB competitor, a reader who likes a challenge but wants to go it alone with UBOB, or just someone who is curious to see what it’s all about, it is an exciting time for reading in Oregon. The books are great, the readers are revved up, and the teams are on their way! Go Flaming Dictionary Detectives!!