DC Battle of the Books
The BOB (Battle of the Books) is a district-wide reading motivation program based upon the current Three Stars nominated titles. This program is sponsored by DCLA SLS (District of Columbia Library Association School Library Section). Students in 4th-8th grades participate in this competition by simply reading the Three Stars titles listed on the DCLA SLS website and answering questions.
DCLA SLS’s BOB mission is to encourage a culture of reading and introduce students to new and exciting titles that they might not normally read. We recognize that the in-person BOB competition is an annual event that staff and students enjoy and look forward to each year. We hope to resume our in-person competition as funding and time allows.
Virtual Battle of the Books 2023
The DCLA School Library Section Battle of the Books events for Upper Elementary (4th & 5th) and Middle School (6th-8th) will remain virtual this school year. Please register by March 3, 2023 so we can provide timely book donations and information updates. Book donations and quantity are limited, so we encourage participants to seek resources from their school libraries, public libraries, and other means.
Thank you, Junior League of Washington, for your donations and support in creating questions!
The Handbook and Code of Conduct is available here.
The virtual event will occur June 2, 2023. More details coming as we plan. Thanks for your patience and flexibility as we continue to recover in a pandemic.
Share a FLYER with your students!
2023 DC Battle of the Books Dates:
June 2nd, 10 AM: Upper ES Battle
June 2nd, 1 PM: Middle School Battle
Both events will take place LIVE on Teams
Registration (closed March 3rd):
REGISTER here (Select Upper Elementary or Middle School)
2023 BOOK LIST
- A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
- The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei by Christina Matula
- Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene by Emma Otheguy
- Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
- Troublemaker by John Cho
- Tumble by Celia C. Pérez
- When the World Turned Upside Down by K. Ibura
- Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country by Kelly Yang
MIDDLE SCHOOL
- The Antiracist Kid: A Book about Identity, Justice, and Activism by Tiffany Jewell
- Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros
- The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higue
- Long Lost by Jacqueline West
- The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
- New From Here by Kelly Yang
- Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds; illustrated by Raúl the Third
- They Call Her Fregona by David Bowles
Practice with Our Previous Virtual Battle of the Books Questions
DC-area schools can participate in a Virtual Battle of the Books through Kahoot. In partnership with Junior League of Washington, questions were designed using titles from the Three Stars Book Award nominees from their respective years in the Upper Elementary and Middle School categories. Play at home or stage a virtual battle with students!
2022 High School Battle of the Books (100 questions)
2022 Middle School Battle of the Books (80 questions)
2022 Upper Elementary Battle of the Books (80 questions)
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2021 Middle School Battle of the Books (100 questions)
2021 Upper Elementary Battle of the Books (80 questions)
Middle school participants display their answers during the 2019 event at Dunbar HS