BOB LOGO-UPDATEGet battle ready this summer and pick up one of the selections for 2017-2018 Battle of the Books!

New to Battle of the Books? Here’s a primer, plus the grade-by-grade lists.

What is Battle of the Books (BOB)?

Battle of the Books is a reading
incentive program designed to encourage students to read good books and have fun while competing with peers.

How Does It Work?

Students participate by reading the books on the grade appropriate reading list. Each school has a team and captain; the team divides up the reading list of 10 required books and reads the books over a given period of time. Teams then meet in a competition refereed by a questioner and a timer to answer a set number of questions. Each school’s team will then go on to the district level competition where a winning school from each grade level will be declared the district champion.

Is This Program Required?

No, this is an extracurricular activity that requires time to read, meet with the team and coach, and participate in mock competitions. If students choose to participate, they are not required to buy the books; they may use library copies, either at their school or here at the Rockwall County Library.

Book Lists

Grades 3-4

Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus
Brambleheart by Henry Cole
The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford
Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon
El Deafo by Cece Bell
The Friendship Garden: Green thumbs-up! by Jenny Meyerhoff
Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant
I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 by Lauren Tarshis
Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
Who is Jeff Kinney by Patrick Kinney


Grades 5-6

Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin
Connect the Stars by Marisa de los Santos & David Teague
The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm
The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi Winget
Pax by Sara Pennypacker
Took by Mary Downing Hahn
The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shahib Nye


Grades 7-8

Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith
The Great Trouble: a mystery of London, the Blue Death and an boy called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson
The Fairy Tale Matchmaker by E. D. Baker
The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
Kid Owner by Tim Green
No Summit Out of Sight: the true story of the youngest person to climb the seven summits by Jordan Romero with Linda LeBlanc
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Seriously Norman by Chris Raschka
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead