2008 Mid-Wisconsin Summer Battle of the Books

Eleven MWFLS libraries are participating in this year's system Battle of the Books. These libraries are: Beaver Dam, Fort Atkinson, Horicon, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Palmyra, Waterloo,Watertown, West Bend, and Whitewater.

Here are this year's books:
Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
Whirigig by Paul Fleischman
Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
When My Name Was Keoko byLinda Sue Park
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Football Genius by Tim Green
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan
Amazing Life of Birds by Gary Paulsen

Here's the rules:

Battle of the Books Rules
1. Each competition will last for 60 minutes.
2. Teams of FIVE members will be competing.
3. Each team will be given an equal number of questions
4. The questions will be given to the teams in turn regardless of which team last gave a correct answer.
5. The announcer will ask the question ONLY ONCE and will NOT repeat the question.
6. Five points will be awarded for the complete correct title and three points for identifying the author’s last name. If there are two authors with the same last name, then the first name must also be given.
7. The spokesperson should answer for the group, however the first answer given from a group is the only answer allowed. You are encouraged to confer before answering.
8. The time limit is 30 seconds. The question must be answered or be in the process of being answered within that time. If at the end of the 30 seconds the team is unable to correctly identify the book title or a wrong answer or no answer is given, the opposing team has an opportunity to answer the question in 15 seconds but the question is NOT repeated.
9. If an opposing team identifies the book title correctly, they get 5 points but do not have the opportunity to identify the author.
10. An author intentionally chooses the words for the title of his book. Every team must give the complete and exact title of the book for the answer to be correct.
11. If after the time allowed, there are two or more teams with identical scores, tie breaker questions will be asked until a winner can be declared. The answers to these questions will be written.
12. Cheating and/or poor sportsmanship will not be permitted. If an announcer or judge notices such behavior, a warning will be issued. If it happens again, the participant (not the team) will be disqualified.
13. After the halfway point, the order of the questions being read will be reversed.
14. The judges’ ruling is FINAL.

Updated 6/9/2008

The final BOB featuring the winning teams from each library will be held July 30 at Whitewater. More information is available at the Youth Services Librarians website: http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskidsbob.htm.