Oregon Battle of the Books: Partial list of next year’s titles

With a partial list of titles released for next year’s Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB), I start physical preparations and conduct a census of the books in Bellview Elementary School library.

OBOB is a big deal at Bellview, which thrills this paralibrarian no end. It’s great to see students commit to read the books assigned to them on teams that will compete, game-show style, to correctly answer the most questions.

Teams are formed and practices underway for the 2016-2017 competition - but what’s especially neat is seeing students enjoy the books and go on to read all 16 titles, not just those they’re responsible for as part of competing as a team.

When an OBOB title is first in a series, students often continue with the storyline by reading the series’ later books, or maybe they explore other stand-alone books written by a featured author.

Here are the titles on that “first half” of next year’s OBOB list:

Blast-off! By Nate Ball
The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980 by Lauren Tarshis
Masterpiece by Elise Broach
My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen
We the Children by Andrew Clements
Wild Wings by Gill Lewis

When the entire list is released, there will be 16 titles.

Here are some of the books located in Bellview library today: 12 copies of Masterpiece by Elise Broach, in hardcover and trade paperback; two hardcover copies of Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine and one hardcover copy of Wild Wings by Gil Lewis.

Bellview’s OBOB program is organized each year by Bellview PTO, and it generously provides us with multiple copies of each OBOB title. Bellview PTO purchases the books through a grant from Rotary Club of Ashland Lithia Springs.

When the books arrive, Bellview PTO volunteers also help with physical prep-work: laminating books and affixing barcodes that will identify the books in our catalog.

Such invaluable support really makes a difference in providing this enriching program. And while teams compete until a single team represents Bellview as champion, I believe everyone who participates by reading is a “winner” as a result.