Battle of the Books!

Parents,
For many of you, this is the first Battle of the Books that your child has participated in. Here is a little "Parent How To" to get you acquainted with the program and what it should look like at home. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Between now and May, all 3rd-8th grade classes will be reading from the same list of books (see below). There are 19 titles on the list, which is a WIDE range of reading levels to accommodate readers across the grades. Being the youngest class, MANY of the books are well beyond our abilities to read independently. This is where family involvement becomes crucial!
1) Books may be read independently, read with, or read TO. Audio books are great, too, and I will link a few below with the list. A few of these titles have been made into films, but I don't strongly recommend using that media instead of reading. I, Robot is a prime example- the movie is rated PG-13 AND it is vastly different from the book. Use movies at your own discretion. 
2) Each child is encouraged to read (in any of the ways stated in #1) at least 3 books during the reading period. This ensures that at least 1-2 people in the class are familiar with each book.
3) COMPREHENSION IS KEY! The battles are in a quiz-show format and knowing things like character names, setting/location, and key events are super-important! 

When we battle, each student receives 3 sticks with which to answer questions. Just 3! This is so everyone is needed to participate- not just top readers. All questions are asked in the format, "In which book do(es).....?" And the answer is ALWAYS : Title, author. Students must know the COMPLETE title and author to receive a point. 

Here is the list! (Links are to free audiobook files!)

v    All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

v    Kon – Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl

v    Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

v    Watership Down by Richard Adams

v    I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (apparently has some strong language.. please read TO so you can edit as needed!) 

v    Waiting for the Rain by Sheila Gordon

v    The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

v    Wintering by William Durbin

v    The Trolley to Yesterday by John Bellairs

v    The Fighting Ground by Avi

v    Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green

v    A Dolphin Named Bob by Christine Herman Merrill

v    Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

v    Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

v    Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks with Jim Haskins

v    Miles’ Song by Alice McGill

v    The Canada Geese Quilt by Natalie Kinsey – Warnock

v    Hello, Mrs. Piggle –Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

v    String, Straightedge, and Shadow by Julia Diggins

I am not assigning Spring Break "homework" but ALL students should continue reading 30 minutes every day. This is habit-building, so please keep it up! Spring Break is also an excellent time to review phonograms and math facts, along with getting a jump on these BoB titles! 

Have a wonderful vacation! See you all in April!