Battle of the Books

Fourth and Fifth Grades

The Battle of the Books is a competition in which fourth and fifth graders read as many of twenty Young Hoosier books as they can. Students are divided into teams of five students each. In November, January, and March the classes hold preliminary rounds in a Jeopardy-like format, in which they answer questions about the books.

In April, the championship rounds begin! Classes with multiple teams vie for the class championships. Those winners move on to the grade championships, in which a winner of the fourth grade and a winner of the fifth grade is determined. The school championship is held in the gym with parents, classmates and the third graders in close attendance. But, that's not all! An all-star team is selected to go for an inter-school battle. In May, 2005, our all-star team competed with seven other Vigo County schools and won the competition! We were very happy and proud to claim the large traveling trophy for the year. Click here to see the trophy.

A buzzer system, similar to that used on Jeopardy, makes the battles exciting. All of the students participating receive prizes and certificates, as they reach their reading goals and as they participate in the competition. A pizza party is held in May for all students who have read at least five of the Young Hoosier books. In 2005-2006, twelve schools are slated to participate, so it will be another exciting year as the competition grows.