G.S. Lakie Middle School 2016 Battle of the Books. Fiction and graphic novels compete for top spot in this book tournament.

2. INSPIRED BY:
• CBC’S CANADA READS
• SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL YEARLY BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
• HTTP://WWW.SLJ.COM/2016/02/PROGRAMS/BATTLE-OF-THE-BOOKS-SLAM-DUNK-PROGRAMMING-FOR-ALL-
AGES/#_
• MARCH MADNESS NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

3. HOW I CHOSE THE BOOKS?
• I USED THE CIRCULATION RECORDS FROM FEBRUARY 2015– FEBRUARY 2016
• ONLY FICTION & GRAPHIC NOVEL TITLES WERE INCLUDED
• FROM THE TOP 50 TITLES, I WHITTLED IT DOWN TO 32 (I ONLY INCLUDED ONE BOOK FROM A SERIES, EVEN
IF MORE THAN ONE WERE IN THE TOP FIFTY). I WANTED THE MIX TO BEMADE UP NEW AND OLD TITLES,
AND ACCESSIBLE TO A VARIETY OF READERS

4. HOW I CHOSE THE BRACKETS?
• I INQUIRED WITH OUR ATHLETIC / TOURNAMENT GUY, HE INFORMED ME “THERE IS A SYSTEM” -- #1
VS.#32, #2 VS. #31 ETC.

5. FIND LOADS OF COPIES OF BOOKS
• I TRIED TO HAVE 10+ COPIES OF EACH TITLE, THEY CAN LATER BE USEDFOR LIT. CIRCLES, ETC.
• RAIDED MY PERSONAL STASH
• MADE NUMEROUS VISITS TO VALUE VILLAGE
• ORDERED FROM BOOKDEPOT – TOTAL $130.05 FOR 52 COPIES
• STUDENTS COULD ALSO USE TEACHER/CLASSROOM LIBRARY COPIES

6. SET THE STAGE AND BUILD HYPE

7. SET THE STAGE AND BUILD HYPE
• I USED MY BLOG TO PROMOTE TITLES VIA BOOK TRAILERS BEFORE THE FIRST VOTE.
• HTTPS://LAKIELIBRARY.WORDPRESS.COM/
• TO LOOK AT JUST BATTLE ENTRIES, USE ‘EVENTS IN THE LIBRARY’ IN CATEGORY SEARCH

8. SET THE STAGE AND BUILD HYPE
• I CREATED EXCERPT BOOKLETS (THE HOOK), FOR STUDENTS TO READ. MADE THEM AVAILABLE TO L.A.
TEACHERS, AND WOULD SHARE ONE OR TWO AS A READ-ALOUD DURING LIBRARY TIME.
• ANNOUNCEMENTS
• SHOW PUBLISHER MADE BOOK TRAILERS, AUTHOR INTERVIEWS, ETC.

9. SET THE STAGE AND BUILD HYPE
• WORK WITH AN AWESOME TEAM

10. HAVE SOME FUN
• STUDENT SHOUT OUT BULLETIN BOARD
• DRESS AS YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER DAY
• EDIBLE BOOK FEAST
• STUDENT MADE BOOK TRAILERS / PROMO MATERIALS

11. HAVE SOME FUN PHOTOS

12. TALLY THE VOTES
• STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE ON BOOKS THEY HAVEN’T READ– THEY HEARD EXCEPTS, THEY HEARD
CLASSMATES, THEY WATCHED BOOK TRAILERS– ‘DO YOUR BEST’ IS WHAT WE TOLD THEM

13. CROWN THE WINNER
• I THINK I’LL MAKE TROPHY STICKERS FOR THE WINNER, SO THEY’LL ALWAYS BE RECOGNIZED IN THE
FUTURE.

14. RESPONSE FROM TEACHERS
• WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS?
• I LOVE THIS IDEA AND LOVE THAT OUR LIBRARIANIS ALWAYS USING DIFFERENT WAYS TO CHALLENGE US AND THE KIDS TO READ.
• HOW HAS THE TOURNAMENT EFFECTED YOUR CLASSES?
• MY CLASS HAS BEEN TOTALLY ON BOARD WITH THE CHALLENGE. THEY ARE EXCITED ABOUT PROMOTING THE BOOKS THEY HAVE READ AND LIKED.
• WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THE TITLE SELECTION? AND THE AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS?
• YES. I’D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW YOU PICKED THE ONES YOU DID AND WHY YOU PITTED THEM AGAINST THE ONES YOU PIT THEM AGAINST.
• WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN LIKE WITH YOUR STUDENTS?
• I THINK THE MAJORITY OF MY CLASS HAS BEEN MAKING AN EFFORT TO GET THE BOOKS ON THE LIST READ. CERTAINLY THEY ARE PROMOTING THE ONES THEY LIKE.
• WOULD YOU SEE THIS AS A VALUABLE ENDEAVOR TO PURSUE AGAIN?
• ABSOLUTELY.
• DAWN KING-HUNTER GR.7

15. RESPONSE FROM TEACHERS
• WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS?
• BATTLE OF THE BOOKS HAS BEEN AN AMAZING WAY TO ENGAGE STUDENT IN READING. SOME OF MY MOST RELUCTANT READERS HAVE ENTHUSIASTICALLY PICKED UP CHAPTER BOOKS THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED OTHERWISE. THE BATTLE HAS ALSO BEEN A GREAT CONVERSATION TOPIC FOR
STUDENTS, AND I OFTEN FIND THEM DISCUSSING BOOKS OF THEIR OWN ACCORD! I HAVE TRIED TO READ QUITE A FEW OF THE TITLES MYSELF IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THE BOOKS WITH STUDENTS. THIS DISCUSSION HAS BEEN ANOTHER GREAT BY-PRODUCT OF THE CHALLENGE.
• HOW HAS THE TOURNAMENT EFFECTED YOUR CLASSES?
• IT HAS DEFINITELY MADE FOR GOOD DISCUSSION AND MORE FOCUSED READING. IT HAS ALSO BEEN A FANTASTIC TIE-IN FOR MY PERSUASIVE WRITING UNIT!
• WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THE TITLE SELECTION? AND THE AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS?
• THERE WAS A GREAT SELECTION OF TITLES, AND THE STUDENTS DIDN’T SEEM TO HAVE TO WAIT VERY LONG TO READ THE TITLES THEY WANTED TO READ.
• WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN LIKE WITH YOUR STUDENTS?
• AMAZINGLY POSITIVE! I HAVE LOVED TO SEE HOW ENGAGED THEY HAVE BEEN AND HOW PASSIONATELY THEY ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST CERTAIN BOOKS.
• WOULD YOU SEE THIS AS A VALUABLE ENDEAVOR TO PURSUE AGAIN?
• DEFINITELY! I THINK IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS! THANK YOU, CATHY!
• WERE YOU ABLE TO BRING THE TOURNAMENT INTO YOUR LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM – IF SO HOW?
• I BROUGHT THE BATTLE INTO CLASS BY CONNECTING IT TO MY PERSUASIVE WRITING UNIT. I ALSO ALLOWED STUDENTS TIMETO WORK ON EXTENSION ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS VISUALLY REPRESENTING THEIR FAVOURITE BOOK THROUGH A POSTER OR DOOR DECORATION. WE ALSO VIEWED SEVERAL
MORE OF THE BOOK TRAILERS AND MADE PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE CONTEST.
• TARYN RODZINYAK GR. 7

16. RESPONSE FROM TEACHERS
• WHATDOYOUTHINKABOUTTHEBATTLEOF THE BOOKS?
• BATTLE OFTHE BOOKSHAS BEEN AN AMAZING ACTIVITY. BOTH OFMYCLASSESHAVE REALLY GOTTEN EXCITED ABOUTTHE BOOKSAND THEIR INTEREST IN READING HAS GROWN.IN CLASSSTUDENTSARE HAVING DEBATES ABOUTTHE CHARACTERS,PLOT LINES AND
CONFLICTWITHIN THE BOOKSAND THIS HAS PAIREDREALLY WELLWITH OUROWNSTORYWRITING.
• HOWHASTHE TOURNAMENTEFFECTEDYOURCLASSES?
• ALL POSITIVE RESULTS.MOREREADING AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LITERATUREIS TAKING PLACE.THE KIDSARE EXCITED AND I THINK THEY ARE READING MORE!
• WEREYOUHAPPYWITHTHE TITLESELECTION?ANDTHEAVAILABILITYOF BOOKS?
• THE BOOKSYOUSELECTEDWEREGREAT. LOTSOFVARIETY IN BOTH GENRE AND LENGTH. THERE WASA BOOKFOREVERYONE!
• WHATHASTHE REACTIONBEENLIKEWITHYOURSTUDENTS?
• THE STUDENTS GET INVOLVED AND VERY PASSIONATEWHEN WE ARE VOTING. CHANTING, CHEERING AND HOLLERSOF“NOOOOOO!”ERUPTWHEN THE RESULTSARE ANNOUNCED. IT IS SUPERFUN TO WATCH!
• WOULDYOUSEETHISAS A VALUABLEENDEAVORTO PURSUEAGAIN?
• I WOULDLOVE, LOVE, LOVE IF WEDID THIS AS AN ANNUAL EVENT!
• WEREYOUABLETO BRINGTHETOURNAMENTINTOYOURLANGUAGEARTSCURRICULUM– IF SOHOW?
• MY STUDENTSWROTEDAILYWRITINGPROMPTSABOUT THE BOOKBATTLE AT THE START OFCLASS.WE USEDEXAMPLES FROMTHE BOOKSIN THE BATTLE WHEN WRITINGOURSHORT STORIESIN PREPARATIONFOR PATS.
• LAURA MUIRHEAD, GR. 6