Battle of the Books

Welcome to Battle of the Books! 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 six books, and then participate in a contest where they compete with other teams by answering trivia questions based on the books. Click here to access the informational brochure with all official rules and dates. 

Battle of the Books 2022 kicks off on Monday, December 6 2021. Titles will be announced and available for pickup on that day. The actual Battle will take place virtually on Saturday, March 5, 2022. 

Teams can have 2 to 8 students and will need one adult coach who serves as the contact between the Library and the team.

Thank you to all the coaches, students, teachers, principals, librarians, and other staff who help make Battle of the Books a success. And a huge thank you to the Friends of the Baldwin Public Library for sponsoring Battle of the Books.

The 2022 Battle of the Books

• The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas
• Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse
• Song for a Whale by Lynn Kelly
• The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
• Glitch by Laura Martin
• A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry

Important Dates for Battle 2022

• Monday, December 6: Battle kickoff and titles are released!
• Monday, February 7: Team registration starts (2 to 8 students per team)
• Friday, February 25: Last day for registration
• Saturday, March 5 at 11:00 a.m.: Battle Day! (all virtual via Zoom and Google Forms)

Battle Book Talks and Informational Meetings

Click the links below to register for the book talks and informational meetings. The Battle Book talks last 45 minutes, are not recorded and are designed for students. At the Informational Meetings, we’ll go over the virtual format, rules for Battle, what to expect on Battle day, ways to practice, tips for coaching, etc. All coaches, potential coaches, parents and students are encouraged to attend. 

• Information Meetings: Thursday,January 6 or Thursday, February 3 at 7:00 p.m.
• Season of Styx Malone: Monday, January 10 at 4:30 p.m. 
• Song For A Whale: Thursday, January 20 at 4:30 p.m.
• Witches of Brooklyn: Wednesday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m.
• The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez: Tuesday, February 1 at 7:00 p.m.
• Glitch: Monday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m.
• A Wolf Called Wander: Wednesday, February 16 at 4:30 p.m.