Battle of the Books

Battle of the Books is an annual literacy event in Halton for children in Grades 3 to 8 that combines books, team spirit and school pride.

Registration now open!

Register Now

Why participate?

  • Battle of the Books is a literacy-building program that is a great way to get your students or children excited about reading, and to help them find new books.
  • It helps build an understanding of good sportsmanship and fair play.
  • While we call it a ‘battle’ we always try to maintain a spirit of fun and fair play so that even those teams who do not win, still have a positive experience.

Who can participate?

  • Students in grades three to eight from any Milton school can play.
  • Each team needs a school staff member or volunteer to act as a coach.

How are the teams organized?

A team is comprised of a maximum of nine members, with six members of each team actively playing at any given time.  Three members are substitutes.
Teams are created by the participating schools once their registration has been confirmed.

  • Junior Teams: up to three students from each of grades three, four and five.
  • Senior Team: up to three students from each of grades six, seven and eight.
  • Halfway through each round, teams will be able to switch in the substitutes.
  • If your team does not have enough players from one grade, students of a lower, not higher, grade may be substituted
  • One team member should be designated as the spokesperson.  All responses must be given by the spokesperson.
  • A school can send one junior and one senior team.

How does a battle work?

  • Before each battle begins, a coin is tossed to determine which team goes first.
  • A battle is made up of eight pairs of questions, questions alternate between the teams.
  • A team has 30 seconds to guess the author and/or title.  If the question cannot be answered by the team then the opposing team has the chance to respond immediately. .
  • Teams always play at least four rounds.
  • Each team has a rest period, known as a bye. When your team is on a bye they can rest, chat and enjoy a snack that we provide
  • We keep track of each team’s total score.
  • The two junior teams, and similarly, the two senior teams with the highest cumulative scores will proceed to the Grand Battle.

Questions

  • After a warm-up practice question with no point value, each team will be asked eight questions per round from the categories listed below.
  • Questions from the same category alternate between the two teams. A team has 30 seconds in which to give the correct author and/or title.
  • If the team is unable to answer their question correctly, the opposing team will be given the opportunity to answer the question for bonus points. The answer must be immediate.
  • During the Grand Battle there will be 10 questions per round.

Scorekeeping

  • Five (5) points for a correct title
  • Three (3) points for a correct surname of author
  • Two (2) points when the opposing team answers the correct title
  • One (1) point when the opposing team answers the correct author’s surname
  • Author surname is sufficient, and in the case of joint authorship, only one surname is required
  • Titles must be exact. The adjudicator’s decision will be final in the case of any team answers which may be questionable
  • A cumulative score will be kept for each team and the winners will be notified by the end of the  tournament day
  • The two Junior teams, and similarly, the two Senior teams with the highest cumulative scores will proceed to the Grand Battle
  • In the event of a tie, teams will be asked alternate sets of questions until the tie is broken

Categories in random order

  • Popular
  • Canadian
  • New (books published in 2023-2024),
  • Character 
  • Series (title only) (junior)
  • Myths/Legend (senior)
  • Genre – historical, graphic novel, sci-fi/fantasy, humorous, mystery,
  • Graphic Novels (junior only)
  • Award Winners* (from 2014-2024) *see Award Winner list for more info.

When does it happen?

Round Robin Battles

  • Monday. April 7, 2025 – Juniors
  • Monday April 14, 2025 – Seniors

Grand Battle

  • Monday April 28, 2025, 7-8:30 pm

Regional Battle

  • Thursday May 15, 2025- Halton Hills Public Library- Georgetown

Where does it take place?

  • Beaty Branch, 945 Fourth Line.
  • Up to three three battles happen at once, in different areas of the library.

Regional Partners