It’s Almost Time for Battle of the Books!

Photo Credit:   

Krista Brinkmeier Photography

Dear Youth Librarians,

In case you missed it, I am excited to be a contributor to the YSS blog this year. My name is Tiffani Roltgen, and I am the library director/teacher librarian at New Century School and Verona Area International School in Verona, WI. 

As a school librarian, one of the most fun and engaging reading activities my students participate in each year is Wisconsin’s very own Battle of the Books organized annually by the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA). Elementary, middle school, and high school students compete by forming teams and reading from a list of 20 books in a wide variety of genres. In February, they take a school-level quiz to test their knowledge. The top teams from around Wisconsin complete the state-level test and are then ranked. The Battle booklists, released annually on June 1, often overlap with Wisconsin’s Golden Archer Award program where only students (no grown ups allowed!) vote on their favorite books in primary, intermediate, middle, and senior levels. The winning books are rewarded with a Golden Archer award seal on the cover and the admiration of young adoring fans. 

Photo from wemta.org

There are many ways public libraries can support these initiatives from displaying and promoting books from the Battle and Golden Archer lists to offering book clubs featuring the books with related activities. You can even form Battle teams, facilitate Golden Archer voting for students who are not participating through their schools, or provide book trailer creation opportunities for the annual contest. For additional ideas on how public libraries can support these programs, see this helpful list compiled by WEMTA. As a school librarian, Battle and Golden Archer have helped build a strong culture of reading among my students and pushed them into genres they may not explore on their own. We have shared countless laughs, literary connections, and community building moments. Every year we look forward to celebrating with over 500 readers from across our district during our Battle of the Books field trip day that includes a Zoom session with one of the authors, Kahoot competitions, a take-home craft, lunch at the high school, and a friendly game of Pictionary. All students in grades 4-12 in our district are invited to be part of Battle, and those who say “yes” to the challenge are already winning regardless of the final test scores! 

Cheers,

Tiffani Roltgen

roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us