
Battle of the Books
Welcome to Battle of the Books 2023! This program is for Birmingham Public School students in fourth and fifth grade and is designed to encourage reading. Students form teams with an adult coach, read from a selected list of five books, and then participate in a contest where they compete with other teams by answering trivia questions based on the books. The actual Battle will take place at Groves High School on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
The informational brochure with important dates and official rules can be found here.
Kickoff is Monday, December 12, 2022. Titles are announced and available for check out on that day.
Team registration will open on Monday, February 20, 2023. A Google Form will be posted here. You need a team name and the BPS email addresses of at least two of your students.
Teams are 2 to 8 students and an adult coach. Please see the above link to the informational brochure for all the official rules and dates.
The 2023 Battle of the Books titles are:
- A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat
- Jinxed by Amy McCulloch
- The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan
- Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mia
- Twins by Varian Johnson
Registration for the Battle Book Talks can be found at baldwinlib.org/calendar. They are Mondays from 4:30-5:15 p.m. and are virtual. These are optional enrichment programs to help kids practice answering trivia questions quickly with a large group of kids. These programs are not recorded and we do not give out written copies of the questions that are asked.
- January 9 – The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
- January 23- Accidental Trouble Magnet
- February 6 – Twins
- February 13 – A Wish in the Dark
- February 27 – Jinxed
Check out our informational video for coaches and students!
To access the slide deck from this presentation, please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students can be on a team?
Each team can have 2 to 8 students.
Does spelling count?
All questions are multiple choice so students do not need to worry about spelling.
How will teams answer the Battle questions?
The Battle questions will be in a Google Form this year which students will access using their BPS email address and BPS issued device (Chromebook, laptop, etc). It is advisable to bring two devices on Battle day in case one malfunctions but each team should only submit one Battle Quiz Google Form. Teams need to provide the BPS email addresses of at least two of the students on their team so we know who to email the Battle Quiz Google Form to. More details will be provided to teams once they register.
What will the questions look like?
A sample Google Form will be emailed to registered teams so they can practice. The moderator will read the actual questions out loud. Only the multiple choice answers are written on the form. The questions are simply written as “Question 1”, “Question 2” etc. The questions will look something like the following:
- Question 1
- A. Planet Omar
- B. Twins
- C. Jinxed
- D. A Wish in the Dark
- Question 2
- A. Mrs. Rowlins
- B. Miss Hill
- C. Grandpa
- D. Jason
How long do we have to answer the questions?
The moderator will read each question twice and then there will be twenty seconds for students to discuss and choose their answer. After twenty seconds, the moderator will move on and ask the next question.
What if the wifi goes down?
We are working with the Birmingham Public Schools IT department to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible and we will have back up options in case the technology fails us. If we have to switch to paper forms or something similar, it will take much longer to score the quizzes and announce a winner.
Please contact Stephanie Klimmek, Head of Youth Services at stephanie.klimmek@baldwinlib.org if you have further questions.
Location - View Map
300 W. Merrill St.
Birmingham, MI 48009
Library Hours
Monday–Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Upcoming Holiday Closures
Sunday, April 9: Closed
248-647-1700
300 W. Merrill St.
Birmingham, MI 48009
Library Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Holiday Closures:
Sunday, April 9: Closed