Battle of the Books is a fun program for elementary students in Halton Hills. Players compete to see who knows the most about books!

A message from Douglas Davey, Manager of Children’s and Youth Services

Due to a number of mitigating circumstances, the Halton Hills Public Library has decided to cancel Battle of the Books 2020. We love Battle of the Books, and we know that students do too. This comes at a great disappointment to us all.We want to thank everyone for the hard work, dedication, and commitment that you and your teams have put into Battle of the Books thus far.We sincerely apologize, and will resume plans in the fall for Battle of the Books 2021.

Why play Battle of the Books?
  • Battle of the Books is a literacy-building program that is a great way to get your students or children excited about reading, and to help them find new books. It also builds good sportsmanship and fair play.
  • We call it a “Battle” but our emphasis is on fun!

How do I register?
  • We invite all schools in Halton Hills to play.
  • Schools can contact Children's and Youth Services at 905-873-2681 x2520.
  • Parents can check with their children's schools.

Who can play?
  • Students in grades three to eight from any Halton Hills school can play.
  • Your team needs a school staff member or volunteer to act as a coach.
  • A library staff member will be assigned to you at the start of the event. This staff member will help make sure that everything runs well.

How are the teams organized?
  • Students from grades three, four and five play in the Junior Battle.
  • Students from grades six, seven and eight play in the Senior Battle.
  • Your school can send one junior and one senior team.
  • Your team can have up to nine players. Three students from each grade is ideal.
  • Six players from your team will face off against another team of six. The remaining three players are substitutes and join halfway through the battle. The substitutes usually switch places with someone from their own grade.
  • In a battle, your team should have two players from each grade. For example: two from grade three, two from grade four, and two from grade five.
  • If your team does not have enough players from one grade, you can swap out players from a younger grade for those in an older grade. For example: two from grade three, three from grade four, and one from grade five. You cannot add an older player in the place of a younger one.

Where does it happen?
  • At the Georgetown Branch.
  • Several battles happen at once, in different areas around the Library and Cultural Centre. Ask for help if you're not sure where to go.

When does it happen?
  • Battle of the Books
    • This is the main event that runs every spring. It happens over the course of two or three school days.
    • The dates are announced at the start of the year.
  • Grand Battle
    • A few weeks after Battle of the Books, the top Junior and Senior teams return to the library for an evening battle.
    • Families are invited to attend.
    • The date is announced at the start of the year.
  • Regional Battle
    • The Grand Battle winners from Halton Hills, Milton, Burlington, and Oakville compete in a Regional Battle during the school day. The location of the Regional Battle rotates between the four libraries.
    • The date is announced at the start of the year.

How do players travel to Battle of the Books?
  • Travel is arranged by the schools.

How does a battle work?
  • Your team is asked a question based on a book.
  • They have 30 seconds to guess the author and/or title. They get five points for the right title and three points for the author.
  • If your team doesn't know the author and/or title, the other team gets a chance to guess. They get two points for title and one for author.
  • The questions go back and forth between the two teams.
  • A battle is made up of eight pairs of questions. When a battle is over, we add up the points and the teams move to their next battle.
  • Each team has a rest period, known as a bye. When your team is on a bye they can rest, chat and enjoy a snack that we provide.
  • Teams always play the same number of rounds, usually four.
  • We keep track of each team's total score. At the end of the battle we announce the top teams.

Can parents watch?
  • We invite parents to watch, especially at Grand Battle where we have lots of seating. Seating is limited during the initial Battle of the Books.

Resources

Battle of the Books Team Roster:

Author Lists for 2020: 

Sample Questions for 2020:

Awards: