4th & 5th Grade Battle of the Books: Team Manager Rules

The goal of this program is to include ALL readers, whether they be voracious or reluctant, advanced or struggling. We hope to nurture or spark a lifelong love of reading, promote teamwork, and have fun!

When is Battle of the Books?

  • 4th Grade: Monday, March 4th at 6 PM. Please arrive by 5:45 PM.
  • 5th Grade: Tuesday, March 5th at 6 PM. Please arrive by 5:45 PM.
  • Both Battles are held in the Moon Area Middle School gymnasium.

What are the practice nights?

  • This year we will have practice nights for 4th graders only so that new participants know what to expect on Battle night.
  • Please only register for the practice which covers the books you are reading. All team members do not need to present.
  • Questions asked on practice night will not be used during Battle. Practice tests or questions will not be distributed at any other time.
  • January 17 at 6 PM: The Tapper Twins Go to War (With Each Other), The Wishmakers, Cardboard Kingdom
  • January 17 at 7 PM: The Last Dogs – The Vanishing, Pilfer Academy, Bob
  • January 31 at 6 PM: Maxi’s Secrets, The Real McCoys
  • January 31 at 7 PM: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, A Boy Called Bat

How does Battle of the Books work?

  • The teams will be seated together in a circle. The elected team captain will be given paper and pencil to record the team response. Only one student is to be responsible for recording answers. No other books or papers are permitted during the tournament.
  • The moderator will read each question twice and the question will also appear on a PowerPoint. Team members will have 30 seconds to discuss and write a response.
  • Both participants and audience members should keep their voices down because seating is tight and it is easy to overhear answers. We request that everybody stays as quiet as possible during the competition.
  • Questions will be asked in sets of 5. Answers will be revealed at the end of each set of questions. There will be 3 rounds of 10 questions.
  • If there is a tie after 3 rounds, only the tied teams will answer tiebreaker questions. Questions will continue until the tie is broken and clear winners are declared.
  • This will be a long evening. There will be no intermission or bathroom breaks. Food and drink are not permitted. If a student must leave, we will not pause the competition.

What are the Team Manager’s duties?

  • Before the Battle, Team Managers should help their teams by scheduling team meetings, assigning reading, asking book-related questions, and the like.
  • During the Battle, Team Managers will be assigned to keep score for a different team. Team Managers will monitor team behavior, check answers, record scores on a tally sheet, and turn in those tally sheets at the end of each round.
  • Each question is worth up to 5 points.
    • 5 points: Correct answer and correctly spelled author
    • 4 points: Correct answer and incorrect author
    • 1 point: Incorrect answer and correct author
    • Answers are extremely specific and worded in a way that guarantees one suitable answer. If there is an alternate answer, the moderators will include it when the answers are revealed.

How do Team Challenges work?

  • If a team wishes to challenge an answer, Team Managers may verify or challenge a question on behalf of their team at the end of the round.
  • Challenging an answer does not guarantee a team will win points. Librarians have the final say on which challenges are accepted.
  • In the interest of time, we ask that teams limit the number of challenges.

What about the fun stuff?

  • Teams are encouraged to design shirts, make costumes, and decorate posters.
  • We will award prizes for the best costumes and signs.

What if I have questions?

Thank you for volunteering to be a 2019 Battle of the Books Team Manager!

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