Every year, the North Country Library System (NCLS) hosts the annual Battle of the Books competition for children in grades four through six. St. Lawrence County libraries are always well-represented, and our local teams have done well every year.
The program is a great opportunity for children to work together while answering book-related trivia questions. Titles are selected by a committee of library staff who read twenty books and write over 1,000 questions for local and regional battles. Teams consist of up to four children who read and study the selected books throughout the fall and winter in preparation for local library competitions in late March to early April. Winning teams from each library will compete against other NCLS public libraries on May 5th in Gouverneur.
The 2018 book list is already available at public and school libraries, and consists of twenty chapter books geared to children in grades four through six. This year’s titles include several books that focus on children coping with neuroses, cystic fibrosis, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, children experiencing life and social challenges at home and in school, and a young girl who survives Hurricane Katrina. There is a book with a talking cat, a book with a silent swan, and a book with a fox cub that just might be part human. Several books focus on magic and fantasy including ghosts, a magic pencil, a wizard’s apprentice, and a princess who runs away to live with a dragon. Geographically, the books take place from Northern California to the Gulf Coast to Upstate New York. Another book has a European background and yet another takes place on the high seas. There is sure to be something for everyone!
Interested children should contact their local public library for more information and to sign up. Team members and coaches should visit the North Country Library System’s Battle of the Books page at http://www.bookbattle.org for the 2018 title list and coaches guide. The books for this year’s battle are already available on the shelf at many libraries, through interlibrary loan, or downloadable from our Overdrive collection – grab your library card, check out out a book, and start preparing for the 2018 Battle of the Books!