Please note changes this year (purple text).
Why
did you start the Iowa High School Battle of the Books? Susan Fritzell (TAG teacher at Marshalltown High School)
and Sue Inhelder (Teacher Librarian at Marshalltown High School) started IHSBOB during school year 2007-2008 when many of
our incoming freshman wanted something similar to the middle school battle of the books. We had never tried anything like
this before, but wanted to meet the needs of our kids. We opened the competition to AEA267. Sixteen teams competed in May,
2008 and we all had a blast (and learned many things along the way!). In the 2008-2009 school year we advertised state-wide
and opened competition to all Iowa high school students (grades 9-12). Over 80 teams registered! It is our hope to continue
this event annually.
How do you create the list? We
compile the list from the previous years’ winners from the following awards: Iowa High School Book, Alex, ALA’s
Best Books for Young Adults, Coretta Scott King, Scott O’Dell, Newberry, Schneider, Pura Belpre, Printz, and Hugo Awards.
Our goal is to have approximately 30 titles.
How do we register? See the registration
page to access the registration form. Forms are accepted only by post (no electronic submission please) and must include the
registration fee.
When is registration due? Can that date be extended? Registrations
are due each year on January 31st (postmarked by January 31st). This date cannot be extended...mail early to avoid a
last minute delay!
How much does it cost? Registration fee is
$5 per TEAM. Specific names of team members are not collected until the multiple choice exam so you can switch team members
as you want until then. Please send your payment by check (no cash please) made to the order of Marshalltown High School.
Sorry, no refunds.
What should we name our team? Be creative, pick something that will distinguish
your team among others and reflect the personality of your school and students. Team names, once registered, cannot
be changed so please choose wisely! Many teams create t-shirts to wear to the competition.
How many emails will I receive? Two to three. The first is to confirm
your registration, the second to give you online testing information, and lastly to invite qualifiers to the Grand Battle
(this also includes innformation regarding the Grand Battle). Because email is not always dependable, we request that
you monitor this site for announcements. Refresh if you visit often!
Who can be a coach/sponsor?
Teacher-librarian, teacher, staff member, administrator, parent, coach, public librarian, volunteer. Your school can offer
guidelines as to who is able to meet with students on an extra-curricular basis.
Can
only a teacher librarian or talented and gifted teacher sponsor a team? No, please share this competition with teachers
in your building!
Can an adult sponsor more than one team?
Yes, but... you'll want to be able to read with, interact with, coach, and travel with your team... you should be the
judge of how well you can do that with multiple teams. At competition you might want to be able to stay with your team for
the oral rounds. It can be hard to be two places at one time.
Can a team have more than one adult coach/sponsor?
Yes, but... only the first-listed adult will receive emails and testing information.
Who can be on a team? Up to 6 (six) Iowa students (public, private, or home school) in
grades 9-12 may be on a team. Students MUST be in grades 9-12 to connect with the content and reading level of the books.
Sorry, younger students are not invited to participate in this competition.
Can there
be alternates? The short and simple answer…No. Teams may include as many as 6 students and only those listed
on the coach's survey to compete as part of the team in the qualifying tests may attend the oral finals. For example:
6 students take the online test and qualify for the oral rounds. The team competing in the oral round must be from that group
of 6 students. No changes are allowed after the online testing. All 6 do not have to travel to the oral rounds, but you
can’t substitute another student for someone unable to travel.
Does
every student need to read every book? No, that's why you are part of a team.
What is the
coach's survey? We ask that coaches complete a survey for each team to verify that the online testing service
will work at your school and give coaches a chance to familiarize themselves with the format, username and passwords.
The survey is open February 15-25th. The same username and password will be used for all three online components: survey,
multiple choice test, and author test.
What are the
qualifying tests like? A multiple choice test will include one question from every book on the list. Students will
complete ONE test as a team in an online format. They will also be asked for the complete author's name for each title
(spelled as written on the book list posted at this site) in a separate test. The author test gives credit for correct spelling...capitalization,
punctuation, and symbols are not scored (so you can ignore tilde and umlaut). These tests will be taken at the home
school under proxy of the team coach (we're counting on honesty here, folks) during a week in March (no print/electronic
notes or books are allowed). One full hour is allowed for the multiple choice test. Thirty minutes are allowed for
the author test. The top 16 teams in the state will then be invited to attend oral rounds at Marshalltown High School in April.
Author scorings are used in the case of a tie breaker. If another layer of tie breakers is required,
the time to complete the multiple choice test and time to complete the author test will be used. Shortest times are given
preference.
What are the qualifying test questions
like? These are multiple choice. Here’s a question from last year:
1. In the book Into thin air, who was
the leader of the author’s expedition?
a. Ian Woodall
b. David Breshears
c. Scott Fischer
d. Rob
Hall
The test window says March 1-15th, can that window be extended? Basically, no.
The timeline is really set in stone to allow everyone equal chances and allow the coordinator to tally scores and get ready
for the next round. A strong hint here is to take the tests early in the testing window so you don't have to worry
about weather or technology problems.
What are the
Grand Battle rounds like? Four teams gather in a center (there are 4 centers) for 4 timed rounds of short answer
questions for every title on the list. Students are asked questions in a random order. At the end of 4 rounds, the top 4 teams
will advance to a final round determining 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place. The final round of the top 4 teams will be held
(in a game show format) to determine the top battlers of the state!
Can parents and spectators attend
the Grand Battle? We wish, but our space is limited and there is only room for competitors, coaches, and
chaperone/parent drivers. Someday....
What are oral
round questions like? These are short answer. Here’s a sample from last year:
In
the book Hawksong, what goddess did Zane swear to during the ceremony?
When
are the tests? Multiple choice tests will be taken at the school where your students attend March 1st-15th. The Oral
Rounds will be held at Marshalltown High School on a morning in late April.
What's the difference between an adult "coach" and "sponsor"? Nothing!
I just can't remember which term to use!
