Battle of the Books 2016

This page is for the Coaches of the Battle, Click to go to our public website!

Check out photos from the 2106 Battle of the Books Here! 

2016 Meetings & Important Dates:

• Oct. 15th– 3rd Annual BOB @ OSS HS

What is Battle of the Books?

• Battle of the Books is a book-based trivia tournament for Westchester youth grades 4-10.
  

  Click on the image to zoom this example flyer. For editable posters check out the section “Forms, Posters & Letters’ section below.

• The goal of the program is to promote a love of reading in kids and teens, to expose them to titles and authors that they might not encounter otherwise, to encourage them to think of their local public library as a resource for entertainment and to inspire teamwork and good sportsmanship in an atmosphere  of friendly competition.

What does a Team Coach do?

Manage your library’s BOB team(s) by: recruiting team members, having team members read BOB selected books, running BOB book-based trivia practice sessions, practice sessions with buzzer systems (borrowed from WLS). Team coaches are also encouraged to help on sub-committees, suggest books for BOB, and read and submit questions for the BOB event.

Contact  Us: Want to know more? Click to go to our public website!

2016 Board:

• President – Elizabeth Portillo
• Vice President – Suzy Zavarella
• Treasurer – Kim Larsen
• Secretary – Augusta Turner
  
• Chairs of Rules Sub-Committee:
  Amy Kaplan & Debbie Fletcher
• Chairs of Volunteer Sub-Committee:
  Anne Quick & Liz Anastasi
• Chairs of Communication and Outreach Sub-Committee:
  Jonathan Heifetz & Erin Schirota
• Chairs of Fundraising and Donations Sub-Committee :
  Kim Larsen & Elise Landesberg
• Chairs of Questions Sub-Committee:
  Mallory Harlen & Andrew Farber

2016 Meeting Minutes:

• January 7th 2016
• February 2nd 2016 (Board)
• March 3rd 2016
• May 5th 2016 (BOARD)
• June 2nd 2016
• September 1st 2016 (BOARD)
• October 6th 2016

2016 Timeline, Rules, Structure, & Sample Questions:

• 2016 BOB Handbook (includes Bylaws, Rules, & more)
• 2016 BOB Timeline
• 2016 BOB Sample Questions
• 2016 BOB Rules

2016 Participating Libraries:
Ardsley (4-6) (6-10)
Bedford Free (4-6)
Briarcliff Manor (4-6) (6-10)
Bronxville (4-6) (6-10)
Eastchester (4-6) (6-10)
Greenburgh (4-6) (6-10)
Larchmont (4-6) (6-10)
Montrose (4-6) (6-10)
Mount Pleasant (4-6) (6-10)
North Salem (6-10)
Ossining (4-6) (6-10)
Pelham (4-6) (6-10)
Rye (4-6)
Shrub Oak (4-6)
Somers (4-6) (6-10)
White Plains (4-6) (6-10)

Registration for 2016 Battle of the Books Teams is now CLOSED. Please contact Vice President Suzy Zavarella (suzyzav@wlsmail.org) with 2017 interest.

2016 Books :

Childrens (4-6) Titles:

• Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America by Jim Murphy
• The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
• Rules by Cynthia Lord
• Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
• Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus

Teens (6-10) Titles:

• Every Day by David Levithan
• Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
• Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer
• Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
• Dead End in Norvelt  by Jack Gantos

2016 Forms, Posters & Letters (editable):
Editable forms that can be individualized to each library

• BOB 2016 Permission Slip
• BOB 2016 Photo Release (DO NOT EDIT beyond your library’s name)
• BOB 2016 Flyer (editable)
• BOB Instagram How-To (Jessica BRO)
• Solicitation / Sponsorship Letter (editable)
• Sponsorship 101 presentation with notes (Pat Braja of WLS)
• Battle of the Books Sponsorship Form (Pat Braja of WLS) – (editable)
• Solicitation Letter (Pat Braja of WLS) – (editable)
• Press Release – Library Team Recruiting Members – (editable)
• Battle of the Books School Support & PR Letter – (editable)
• BOB Letter to Schools – (editable)

Reserving Practice Buzzers: Want to get a head start on using the practice buzzer systems? Click (here) to find out how to reserve a set!

What can I do to help? The BOB 2016 needs your help!
What is expected of a BOB volunteer?
Submit a volunteer here!

• Book Suggestion-ers – Everyone can suggest books for the 2016 BOB. Does not require regular meeting attendance or having a BOB team.
• Question Writing – Everyone can write questions for the 2016 BOB based on the selected books. Does not require regular meeting attendance or having a BOB team.
• Question Editing & Selection – Everyone can help edit questions for the 2016 BOB based on the selected books. Does not require regular meeting attendance or having a BOB team.
• Volunteer on Battle Day – We need tons of volunteers on the big day from emcees & judges to runners and more! We accept teen and adult volunteers. Need community service? This is a great opportunity! Contact us for more details.
• Refreshments – Bring refreshments (snacks, drinks, etc.) to be shared with participants and volunteers on Battle day.
• Donate! – The BOB accepts both monetary and in-kind gifts (refreshments, publisher book donations, prizes for participants, etc.) as donations.

Local Battle of the Books References:

• Mid-Hudson’s page for Battle of the Books
• Ramapo Catskill Library System BOB Page
• Suffolk County Battle of the Books (with commercial!)
• American Battle of the Books Association

Battle of the Books Archives:

Battle of the Books 2014 Archive

Battle of the Books 2015 Archives

Webpage Updated October 19th, 2016