2018 WLS Battle of the Books Handbook

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2018 Board Contact Info...... Page 3 ……………………… ……………………………… … Mission Statement. ....Page 3 …………………………………………………………………… Important Links ...... Page 4 ……………………………………………… ………… …… … 2018 Meeting Schedule ...... Page 4 …………… ……………………………………… …… Book List ...... Page 5 …………………………………………………………………… ……… … … FAQs . . .. .Page 6 ……………………………………………………………………… …………… … … Being a Coach ...... Page 8 …………………………………………… ……………………………

Tournament Day...... Page 9 ……………………………………… …………… ………… … Bracket Format...... Page 10 ……………………………………………………………… … … … Example Questions ...... Page 11 ……………………………………………… …… … ……… Rules ...... Page 12 ……………………………………………………………………… ……… ……… What is Expected of a Volunteer ...... Page 18 ……………………… …………… …… … Coach Advice ... .Page 19 …………………………………………………………………………… … Testimonials and Quotes ...... Page 22 …………………………………………… Templates & Customizable Documents . . ...Page 24 ……………………………… …… …

2018 BOARD CONTACT INFO

President: Kathlyn Carroll (WHI) [email protected] Vice President: Jonathan Heifetz (EAS) [email protected] Treasurer: Pat Brigham (WLS) [email protected] Secretary: Liz Anastasi (GRE) [email protected] Chairs of Volunteer Sub-Committee: Suzy Zavarella (OSS) [email protected] Debbie Fletcher (OSS) [email protected] Chair of Communication Sub-Committee: Marie Pierre (MAM) [email protected] Chairs of Rules Sub-Committee: Amy Kaplan (BRI) [email protected] Chairs of Book Selection & Questions Sub-Committee : Mallory Marinaro (OSS) [email protected] Linda Surovich (MTK) [email protected] School Liaison: Elise Landesberg (MON) [email protected] Social Media: Sarah Prosser (PEK) [email protected]

MISSION STATEMENT

The goal of the Westchester Library System Battle of the Books program is to promote a love of reading in kids and teens, to expose them to titles and authors that they might not encounter otherwise, to encourage them to think of their local public library as a resource for entertainment and to inspire teamwork and good sportsmanship in an atmosphere of friendly competition.

IMPORTANT LINKS

Wiki: http://wikis.westchesterlibraries.org/childrens/?page_id=1320 Public Website: http://westchesterbattleofthebooks.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WLSBattleofthebooks Instagram: https://instagram.com/westchester_bob/

2018 MEETING SCHEDULE

First Full Committee Meeting: February 1st @ 9:30 AM (at WLS)

Board Meeting: March 1st @ 9:30 AM (at WLS)

Second Full Committee Meeting: May 3rd @ 9:30 am (at WLS) (Board meeting to follow)

Board Meeting: September 6th @ 9:30 AM (at WLS)

Mandatory Final Full Committee Meeting: October 4th @ 9:30 AM (at WLS)

2018 BOOKLISTS

Children's Bracket (4-6)

● Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix ● All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson ● Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike Jung ● Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin ● The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Teen Bracket (6-10)

● Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard ● The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes ● Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse ● Delirium by Lauren Oliver ● Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

FAQs

What is the Battle of the Books? The battle of the Books is a countywide competition of young adults and children from all participating Westchester County public libraries. Teams (within their grade level) will compete by answering trivia questions based on 5 different books. There will be 2 brackets Battle of the Books Competitions — teams will be divided by grades (4-6 or 6-10).

Why participate in the Battle of the Books? Battle of the Books participants enjoy leisure reading, but they also bond with their teammates over a common interest, and practice team-building skills. Their parents and communities celebrate them for their talents and hard work; BoB is an excellent alternative to team sports. They build lifelong positive associations with the library. Finally, Battle of the Books is fun for the kids and teens, and fun for the coach as well.

When is the Battle Tournament? The Battle will take place on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose, NY.

When does a library have to commit teams by? Registration will open in April and will be first-come, first-serve until we reach maximum capacity for the venue. Photo release forms and permission slips will be due September 15, 2018.

Must libraries have teams in both grade levels? No. Libraries can have just a grade 4-6 or 6-10 team or one of each.

Who can be on the Battle of the Books team? Anyone entering grades 4-6 or grades 6-10 in September 2018. There are no residency requirements set by the BOB Planning Committee so your library can have team members from anywhere.

How can a child or teen participate in BOB? Contact their local Westchester public library! How teams are selected will be decided by the individual libraries.

How many students are needed to make a team? Each team must have at least 3 members. The maximum number of team members allowed to participate in a round of battle is 5. However, some libraries may choose to have larger teams and rotate which 5 members participate in the different rounds of the Battle.

What books will participants need to read? Book selections may include fiction & non-fiction in many genres. Look above for list of selected books.

Must students read all 5 of the books for their level? It is recommended but each team/coach will have their own strategies. For example: Each team member may be an “expert” on one or two books.

From where will BOB teams get their books? The BOB Planning Committee sends out letters to publishers of selected titles hoping for free copies. If free copies of books are received, copies will be distributed among BOB-participating libraries. Otherwise, copies can be purchased by individual libraries or checked out of a library. The methods are up to the individual libraries.

How is the BOB Tournament structured? BOB Competition Day Structure: (refer below in the Bracket Structure section for more details ) ● First Rounds – All teams per level/bracket (grades 4-6 or 6-10) will battle one another (one on one) and the scores will be totaled. The teams with the most total points will compete as semi-finalists in the final round. ● Semifinalist Rounds – Semifinalists will battle one-on-one. Winning teams advance to the finals! ● Winners – There will be a first & second place team per age group/level.

What type of questions will be asked in the Battle? Only fact-based questions will be asked, not opinion questions. Questions cannot be in the following formats: true or false, yes or no, or multiple choice.

What will the winning teams receive? Prestige & Prizes! The winning teams’ libraries, 1 per level, will get trophies to display until the next battle. The top 2 teams per level will get prizes & all participating students will receive a certificate!

Can you practice with BOB Buzzer systems? Yes! WLSBOB owns buzzers and your library is encouraged to borrow buzzer systems from WLS. Contact Allison Pryor by phone at 914-231-3237 ex. 237, or by e-mail: [email protected].

Will team t-shirts be provided by WLS or the BOB Committee? No. Each library may choose to make or purchase team t-shirts, but the creation, financing, and distribution of any t-shirts is the responsibility of the individual library.

How can your library participate in the Battle & make a team? Contact the WLS Battle of the Books Committee @ [email protected] or 914-422-6945.

BEING A COACH - WHAT’S INVOLVED

1. Recruit team members Promote BOB as you would any other program but keep in mind that you will need committed kids to participate. Also keep in mind that only FIVE participants may play each round so consider that when creating a team. Participants must have a parent sign a BOB photo release and permission slip, which must be submitted to the board by September 15, 2018. You may have your team commit earlier for your own library. You must have at least three team members to participate.

2. Have your team read the five books for your bracket Some teams bought books for their team to consult, while others just shared those already in the library system. Each year, the BOB Board will request donations from the publishers in an attempt to help offset the costs to individual libraries.

3. Run BOB trivia practices It is highly suggested that at some point you have you team practice with the buzzer systems they will work with on the day of (borrow from WLS). Beyond that, create an arsenal of practice questions and practice as often as you see fit. The strategy to win is yours to decide with your team!

4. Help with sub-committees If you want to contribute to the event beyond being a coach, join a subcommittee and get involved! Reach out to the President, Vice President, or appropriate Chair for more info. For example, we can use help writing questions for Battle Day; contact the Book Selection & Questions chairs to help out.

5. Recruit Volunteers Each library is responsible for providing some volunteers to help run the Battle Day event. We need emcees, timekeepers, scorekeepers, photographers, parking lot attendants, and more. Recruit a few coworkers, trustees, or Friends to help out.

DAY OF THE BATTLE TOURNAMENT

1. Sign-In On Battle Day the first thing you will do as a coach is sign in and receive your packet. Please read through your packet, which will include schedules, room numbers, and maps.

2. Locate your team At an event such as this where there are a ton of parents, make sure you know where your team is at all times. Let parents know that they should tell you if they are taking their child somewhere so everyone is accounted for at all times.

3. Get your official team photo You will receive an assigned photographer in your packet. When your team is all together it is your responsibility to get your team to your assigned photographer during lunch or a break.

4. Keep on Schedule It is your responsibility to keep track of your team’s scheduled rounds, breaks and lunch. The final Battles will be in the gym at the end of the day.

BRACKET FORMAT FROM 2017 BATTLE

QUESTIONS

Children’s Final Battle Questions, 2017:

1. How much money does Melody’s mother give Mrs. Billups for the CD she destroys? Answer: $5.00; Out of My Mind, p. 59 2. In One Crazy Summer, what name does Big Ma still call JFK Airport? Answer: Idlewild; One Crazy Summer, p. 4 3. What is the only class Marshall did not have with Chad? Answer: Latin; Fuzzy Mud, p. 19 4. Who sings Melody’s favorite song, “Elvira”? Answer: The Oak Ridge Boys; Out of My Mind, p. 7 5. In Grandmamma’s story about the witches turning a girl into a chicken, what color eggs did the chicken lay? Answer: Brown; The Witches, p. 20 6. In Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, what is the total cost of the boys’ order at McDonalds? Answer: $1.63; Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, p. 210 7. In which book does a family receive a visit from Miss Decatur County? Answer: Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson p. 169 8. In which book does a character make a phone call at 3:45 a.m.? Answer: Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sa 9. What is Melody’s favorite soda? Answer: Mello Yello Out of My Mind, p. 44

Sample Questions from the Teen Final Battle, 2017:

1. In Jackaby, Abigail ran away to join an archaeological expedition in what mountain range? Answer: Carpathian Mountains; Jackaby (p. 13) 2. In which book does a character wear half-moon glasses? Answer: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (p. 8) 3. In Fever 1793, Mattie’s grandfather got King George by winning what? Answer: a card game; Fever 1793 (p. 18) 4. In which book is there a Lieutenant with the first name Boyd? Answer: Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans 5. What is Olly’s email address? Answer: [email protected]; Everything, Everything (p. 42) 6. In which book did the main character’s father die of a heart attack when the character was eight years old? Answer: Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans 7. What is the first and last name of the Slytherin Quidditch team’s captain? Answer: Marcus Flint; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (p. 185) 8. In which book was the main character born in December? Answer: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (p. 115) 9. In Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25, at the party Taylor has to dial Michael’s phone number. What is Michael’s phone number? Answer: 208-555-3989; Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25

RULES - BATTLE OF THE BOOKS (2018)

GENERAL RULES

Battle of the Books Competition Structure

● There will be two separate Battle of the Books competitions going on simultaneously: One competition is for 4th-6th grade teams. The second competition is for 6th-10th grade teams. ● All teams will be divided at random into two divisions: Division A and Division B. Each team in a Division will compete against every other team in their Division. The top two teams from each Division will continue on to compete in a semi-final round against each other. The top teams will be the teams with the highest total points at the end of regular play rounds. Should there be a tie, see Attachment 3 detailing how to proceed. The winners of the Divisional semi-finals rounds will then compete in a final championship battle match. The winner of the final championship match is the winner of the entire competition.

Teams ● Teams will be organized by Westchester Library System public libraries only. ● A library may have no more than 1 team in each competition. A library may have both a 4th-6th team and a 6th-10th team. However, a library does not need to enter both competitions. ● Any child in grades 4th-6th, or 6th–10th, as of September 2018, is eligible to participate in the appropriate competition. Each library may determine on what team they wish to place the 6th graders. ● Each team must have at least 3 members. The maximum number of team members to compete in a Battle Match is 5. Some libraries may choose to have larger teams and rotate which 5 members participate in each Battle Match.

Book Selection and Question Requirements ● Books may include fiction and non-fiction in many genres. Books are pre-selected by the Battle of the Books planning committee. ● Trivia questions for the Battle of the Books will be written, edited, and selected by the Battle of the Books planning committee & Battle of the Books Question Selection Sub-Committee. ● Questions will be fact-based only with simple one word or one phrase answers. ● Questions cannot be true/false, yes/no or multiple choice.

Day of Battle Rules & Arrangements ● Each Battle Match Room will require the following volunteers: scorekeeper/timekeeper, an emcee who will both read the questions and determine which team buzzed in and answered correctly, and a room monitor. ● Additional volunteers will serve as ushers/runners to lead teams to wherever they are supposed to be next.

● Teams are prohibited from watching any other battle matches until they are completely eliminated from the competition. ● The Board president may choose to designate one or more Battle Coordinators. Battle Coordinators will be experts on the Battle books and will be on call throughout the day of the Battle to resolve any issues of contention that cannot be resolved by the coaches or “stand in” coaches. ● All battles will begin at the scheduled time with the team members that are present. No team member may join the battle once the match has begun. ● The Board will ensure that we are in compliance with fire codes of the site. This will affect the total number of people each team may have present at the competition. 2018 Fire Code Compliance Rules are attached. ● Use of strollers is prohibited in areas other than the gym. ● Coaches will notify the President of the Board about any participants with disabilities requiring accommodation prior to the Battle. If a coach feels that their team member is unable to comply with any rule(s) stated herein, the President of the Board will have the power to make any necessary special accommodations so that the competition remains fair. All special accommodations must be approved by the President of the Board before they take effect.

RULES FOR BATTLE MATCHES

Questions

● There will be 25 questions in each Battle Match. Questions about all 5 books will be included in each match. Teams get 1 point for each correct answer. The team with the most points after all 25 questions have been asked wins the match. ● Some will be short, fact-based questions. Some will be phrased beginning with “In which book ” The questions that begin with “In which book” must be answered with the exact title … and full name of the author as they appear on the WLS Battle of the Books Wiki. Title will generally include the subtitle, except in rare exceptions at the discretion of the Board. The official accepted title wording will be decided by the Board and posted on the Battle of the Books Wiki no later than one month after the battle books have been decided. ● The person who buzzes in first must be the person to officially answer that question for the team and after buzzing in may confer with teammates for 10 seconds before answering. The opposing team is allowed to confer while the answering team is conferring. ● The time keeper will start the timer immediately when a player buzzes in. ● If the emcee requests an answer to be more specific the person must clarify the answer immediately without any further consultation. ● If a team member who did not buzz answers the question, the emcee will render the answer invalid and not reveal if correct or not. The question will go to the other team who will be awarded a point if they buzz in and answer correctly.

● If the first buzzer is pushed before the question is finished being asked, the question must be answered without hearing the complete question. ● If the first team that buzzes answers the question incorrectly, or fails to provide an answer in the allotted timeframe, the question will be repeated for the second team. The first member of that team to buzz will be the person to answer the question and may confer with teammates for 5 seconds. ● If the allotted time has passed for conferring with teammates and the buzzer has not given a response, the time keeper will say “time” or an alarm will sound and the team member must answer immediately. ● Teams may not ask to have any question repeated. ● If no team has buzzed to answer a question, and 10 seconds have lapsed, the question will be repeated to the teams. If 10 more seconds lapse and no one buzzes, the question will be skipped. ● An answer will be considered correct even if it is mispronounced as long as it is recognizable to the emcee. ● If a question is thrown out of the match because of an error by the emcee, a new question will be added to replace it. ● In the event of a tie during the regular play rounds it will remain a tie. In the event of a tie in the semi-final or final battle matches, the tie will be broken in a sudden death/instant elimination fashion: A tiebreaker will be read and the first team to answer the question correctly wins the match. Tie-breaker questions will follow the same rules as regular match-play questions.

Behavior Guidelines

● If an answer is shouted out without first buzzing in, the question will automatically go to the other team. The question will be repeated to the second team and they must buzz in and will have 10 seconds to confer. If a team shouts out without buzzing in more than 2 times, they will be forced to forfeit the match (i.e. “3 strikes you’re out.”) ● If a team exhibits disruptive behavior, they will receive a warning. If the team exhibits disruptive behavior after one warning they will be forced to forfeit the match. The remaining team will continue to play to the conclusion of the match without the opposing team. ● Team members are not permitted to have any papers, writing materials, books, or digital devices in their possession. ● Audience members must remain silent throughout each match. There shall not be communication of any sort from any audience member with any players, room officials or coaches.

Challenges

● Only team members may challenge a question and only during the question at play. There will be no challenges by coaches, parents, or audience members. If a team thinks they were judged incorrectly, the emcee will confer with both coaches in private briefly. If both coaches are in

agreement then the emcee will rule in accordance with said agreement. In the event coaches cannot agree, an official Battle Coordinator will be paged to determine the correct course of action.

CONDUCT OF ROOM OFFICIALS

● If an emcee has a question about the rules they should confer with the coaches of both teams in that match. If one team has a “stand in” coach then a Battle Coordinator may also be paged to confer. ● The scorekeeper must keep score of the match in a legible manner and in a spot that is visible to the audience and team members at all times. ● All Battle Matches must start at the scheduled time. Battles may not begin before the scheduled time. ● The buzzers must be tested with both teams present before each match begins. ● At the beginning of each Battle Match, the emcee must announce and confirm which teams are competing. ● A designated volunteer must read the Welcome Speech at the beginning of each match and must follow the script exactly as it is written. The WELCOME SPEECH is attached. ● After each question, the buzzer system will be reset. The emcee will announce out loud that the buzzer is being reset before each question is read. ● The questions will be read in the designated number order. ● It is the role of the emcee to acknowledge who has buzzed in first for each question and acknowledge whether each answer give is correct or incorrect. ● Coaches are expected to set the example of good sportsmanship, treat opposing teams with respect and a positive attitude, be modest in victory and gracious in defeat. ● At the end of each Battle Match, the scorekeeper will write the final score for the match and the number of points scored by each team on the provided worksheet. The worksheet will be collected/brought to the main desk immediately following each match. ●

NOTE: THIS FIRE CODE COMPLIANCE RULE WILL BE UPDATED FOR 2018 WHEN THE LOCATION OF THE 2018 BATTLE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED

ATTACHMENT 1: 2017 FIRE CODE COMPLIANCE RULES

(“12/30 Rule”)

In order to comply with fire codes, the number of people affiliated with each team that may attend the Battle of the Books competition is restricted to 30. This includes young children and babies.

The number of people affiliated with each team in an active battle room is restricted to 12. This includes coaches, stand-in coaches, team members and spectators.

During active Battle matches, any people affiliated with a team who are not in the active battle room must wait in the gym. Waiting in the hallways during active Battle matches is prohibited.

Each coach will be given the following for each team:

● 1 Coach/Stand-In Badge (to be worn at all times and serves as a ticket) ● 11 reusable tickets for battle matches

Each coach is responsible for determining who goes into the active battle room during each round of battle. The coach will distribute the reusable tickets. In order to enter an active battle room, you must have a ticket. Tickets will be collected by the Room Monitor when you enter the active battle room. At the end of the match, the coach will collect their reusable tickets from the room monitor and redistribute them as necessary for the next round.

ATTACHMENT 2: WELCOME SPEECH

THIS SCRIPT MUST BE READ VERBATIM BEFORE EACH AND EVERY BATTLE MATCH

Welcome. We hope everyone is enjoying the fourth annual Westchester Battle of the Books competition. You will hear this script many times today. It is important that we read this before each match so that all matches are consistent and rules of conduct are followed properly.

Audience members, in order to respect all team players please remember the following:

All audience members need to remain completely silent throughout the entire match. Please refrain from applause until a winner is declared. Please silence all phones and devices. You are welcome to take pictures without a flash only. There is to be no communication of any sort from any audience member with any players, room officials, or coaches. Any audience member who does not behave accordingly will be asked to leave the room.

(Turn to address team players)

After buzzing in, you may confer with your teammates for 10 seconds before answering. After 10 seconds pass you must answer immediately. The person who buzzed in must be the one to answer the question.

If you answer incorrectly, the question is asked to the other team. That team must buzz in and will have 5 seconds to confer.

If you buzz in before the question is finished being asked, then you must answer the question without hearing the rest of it.

Any question that begins with “In which book” must be answered with the complete title and author.

You may not have any question repeated.

If you shout out an answer before buzzing in, the question will automatically be asked to the other team. If your team does this more than 2 times, then your team will be forced to forfeit the match.

The buzzers will be reset before each question is read and the emcee will announce that buzzers have been reset. The score is being kept over here and will remain visible at all times.

Good luck to both teams.

ATTACHMENT 3: PROCEDURE TO DETERMINE WHO ADVANCES TO THE SEMI-FINALS IN THE EVENT OF A TIE

In the event of two teams or more having an equal number of points, the team with the most wins will move on to the semi-finals.

In the event of two teams or more having an equal number of points AND an equal number of wins, there shall be a “lightning round” between all tying teams to determine who advances.

The “lightning round” will proceed as follows:

Each team will select only two players to compete for their team in this round. Each two-person team shall share a single buzzer. The round will consist of 5 questions and the team with the most points advances. If there is still a tie at the end of the 5 questions, then the battle will continue in a sudden death/instant elimination fashion until a winner can be declared: A tie-breaker question will be read and the first team to answer the question correctly wins the match.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF A BOB VOLUNTEER?

Question: What is involved in being a volunteer? There are several volunteer positions needed for BOB: emcee(question reader), room monitor, runner, greeter, timekeeper, parking attendant/lunch monitor and scorekeeper.

● Emcees read the questions in each battle round and award points to the correct team ● Timekeepers make sure that teams answer within the time allotted ● Scorekeepers keep track of the score throughout each match ● Room monitors count tickets at the door to each room to obey fire code regulations, and keep order in their room ● Runners deliver the scores from the rooms to the main scorekeeper ● Greeters welcome volunteers, coaches, parents and participants on Battle Day ● Parking attendants/lunch monitors help people find parking spaces in the morning and help serve lunch in the afternoon

Question: Do I have to stay all day? Answer: No, but it would be nice if people could. With that said, if someone can only volunteer in the morning, I would rather we have that person for only a few hours, than not at all.

Question: Who can I get to volunteer? Answer: Think about your colleagues: pages/clerks/directors/etc., your Friends of the Library members, Library Board Members, School Librarian, etc. Maybe your town has an organization that has teens looking for community service. Think about asking your teen's or children's favorite teachers. Ask your team’s older siblings, or the teens that are voracious readers that wanted to be involved but missed the deadline or because you had too many kids already. There are an awful lot of potential people to ask, just think about it. Talk up the fact that this is a really fun program that is going to be very entertaining, and make sure that teens know they will get Community Service credit!!!

Question: How old do you have to be to volunteer? Answer: Anyone over 14, who is not already participating in BOB, can volunteer.

ADVICE FROM COACHES

From Briarcliff Library:

● What we did at the meetings: CHILDRENS - I found it worked well to give them a sheet of several questions with answers to look at the beginning of meeting. I would have them try to memorize them alone, then pair up and quiz each other. Each week I would distribute a "cheat sheet" about a new book. For the second half of the meeting, I would do mock battles about the info on the sheets. I would reword the questions a lot for our "battles." For week one, the battle only had questions about the first cheat sheet, for week two, questions included the newest cheat sheet and last week's and so on and so forth. They each got a copy to bring home. Each child also had to bring 5 - 10 questions that they wrote with them to the meetings. TEENS - Teen meetings I did not prep as well and I had them spend a lot of the meetings writing questions or quizzing each other as they thumbed through the books. For the teens they did decide that they wanted to claim "ownership" to the "expert" on a certain book. They read their "expert" book a few times on their own. They goofed off a lot at meetings, and each member missed meetings - but they put the effort in at home. Meetings built rapport, camaraderie, and excitement rather than skills. I think what I did for children's would have worked well for the teens, I will try to do that this year for them. I just didn't have the time to that for both so I winged it more with Teens as they are older and can self direct more. ● Limiting the group size: I had several folks interested at my first "interest" meeting. I presented the level of commitment that this entailed to that group, and at the end of the meeting they had to sign a commitment sheet and get it signed by a parent and then submit it to me. This whittled it down a tiny bit. This was in the Spring. Then they had to read all of the books over the summer (as they committed to doing by signing that sheet in the Spring). When we first met in the Fall - I made it mandatory that all the books have already been read by the first meeting (this whittled a few more out) and I made it mandatory to attend all meetings except 1 that they could miss if good reason. This whittled out yet more. A few kids that had not finished all of the books yet still wanted to attend meetings, I told them they could be our "support crew" and this worked out - they attended meetings, helped train, were my "timers" "readers" "judges" for mock battles. Meanwhile, for teen group - I had only 6 so worked out perfectly. Could not be so strict about attending meetings - teens are much busier. Don't know what I would do to whittle this group down - good luck to me this year. ● Coaching two teams day of Battle: Being the coach of 2 teams I had to have one of the parents from each team commit to be my stand in coach all day. This parent was in charge of making sure that my team was all together and where they were supposed to be all day so that I could spend my time running back and forth to catch as many battles as possible with each team. This parent communicated to me via texting to keep me informed. I had that parent pick their child up a little bit early from the final regular practice meeting so that they could come in to the meeting and I could introduce them

to the group. They did not really have any other responsibilities if they were planning to come all day to the watch the battle anyway, this was only a slightly added responsibility.

From Eastchester Library (formerly a co-coach at Dobbs Ferry Library):

● On being a co-coach: Having two coaching people at practices and on the day of was extremely helpful. At practices we were able to have one of us keep time and the other read the question/ see who buzzed in first. Timing them during practices is HIGHLY suggested. 10 seconds go by fast! We also had two people writing the practice questions. Therefore in the months prior to and on the day of it freed us both up to help with event logistics because one of us always stayed with the team. It was an opportunity for me to get more involved with the larger event and get a feel for coaching (as well as librarianship itself!). ● On having a mini-battle: Double the work but invaluable experience. Looking back I'd suggest you aim for joint practices. Otherwise you are literally planning an entirely separate event. You need to book a space, get emcees, food, invitations, there's an audience etc etc. However I think our whole team shifted their thinking once they had the mini-battle. Suddenly they realized there were many other teams practicing just as hard, and with their own strategies. If it’s possible to do a joint practice with a close by team I highly recommend it. Practicing against another team will help your team know what to expect the day of.

General Observations:

● Recruiting team members: Many teams were concerned about committing to forming a BOB team during the first year - worried that they would not have enough youth interested. But what we found was that, once you put a poster up or started spreading the word, interested kids seemed to come out of the woodwork. Many of the libraries found they had the opposite situation of their fears -- too many kids excited to participate. ● Teamwork & BOB - Great alternative to team sports! BOB is a great program that builds teamwork, encourages sportsmanship, and allows for an alternative or supplement to team sports for avid readers.

“This was a great program – I’m thrilled that [my library] participated and my son very much wants to do it again next year! It’s nice to give kids a chance to shine publicly for something not sports related.” (excerpted from the 2014 BOB Final Evaluation Survey) ● How can I respond when it is argued that BOB is putting too much time for just a few kids? We have found that the following key points have been helpful (also refer to the Quotes section below): ○ Promotes reading and literacy in youth. ○ Building teamwork and camaraderie among participants ○ County-wide event. ○ Prestige for the winning libraries. ○ Counteracts summer-slip. ○ Great program to incorporate into Summer Reading Programs. ○ Great opportunity to collaborate with local schools. ○ Sports-alternative.

○ Allows for students to get to know fellow readers within their library and throughout Westchester. ○ Strong publicity opportunity for your library. ○ Many schools may count BOB reading for their summer reading requirements or give extra credit for participation. ○ Promoting the accomplishments of your library’s advanced readers. ○ BOB is a great launch or continuation for a new or pre-existing Book group. ○ Opportunity for library staff to network with other library staff in county. ○ Leadership opportunity. ○ BOB volunteers may get community service credit and looks great on college … applications and resumes. ○ BOB is a program that can be run on little or no additional expense to the library. ● Time commitment for team prep: The amount of time needed for team meetings at his or her is totally up to the coach. You can make it as intense or laid back as you (and your team) would like... you can meet with your team once a month, once a week or just two times, leading up to the Battle.

TESTIMONIALS AND QUOTES

“What was most memorable?” Source: From the 2014 BOB Final Evaluation Survey which followed the BOB Tournament on 10/18/14 Who was polled? Team coaches, volunteers, parents of participants

● “If showing up early and never wanting to leave were any indication, Battle of the Books prep blew other activities out of the water! Pick-up parents enjoyed lots of ‘found quality time’ catching up while we waited and waited for our kids to finally leave the library.”

● “Great community and camaraderie. What a blast it can be to play together with your books.” nd ● “After losing and taking 2 place one of my team members said that was awesome -- Can we do it again next year!!”

● “I found the positive attitude of my team members the most memorable thing. Even after losing, once the tears were wiped away they were already plotting how to win next year and were excited about coming back.” ● “How the kids evolved over time from a disparate collection of individuals to a real team, supportive of each other and proud of their hard work, and each other.” ● “It gave me real insight into the hard work and dedication of our teen librarian , who had to shepherd them through the process, middle school prickliness, egos and all. I was very happy with the way the team performed, and touched by how much their coach, our librarian, obviously cared about them.” ● “Wonderful team spirit amongst all participants. Finally, an event which encourages and fosters a love for reading. It is nice for children to see others with a common passion and makes the library a cool institution in their eyes.” ● “The kids started as individuals members and finished as a team.” ● “Seeing all of those libraries together in one auditorium in the beginning, it was awesome!” ● “I really loved how the kids interacted and worked as a team, even when one knew the answer.” ● “My son loved this program. He read books that he never would have selected on his own, hung out with a mix of kids that included friends and people he hadn’t spent time with before, and had a great time at the library!” ● “This was a great program – I’m thrilled that [my library] participated and my son very much wants to do it again next year! It’s nice to give kids a chance to shine publicly for something not sports related.” ● “Our son building friendships around BOOKS!”

● “My daughter’s excitement during the entire process. She couldn’t wait for the meetings each week and kept her own calendar of meetings!”

Testimonials Source: From the 2015 BOB Final Evaluation Survey which followed the BOB Tournament on 10/17/15 Who was polled? Team coaches, volunteers, parents of participants ● “The kids were truly amazing as they demonstrated their ability to remember detail from the books that they had read — much more than I will ever be able to do with anything I read!”- Volunteer

● “I loved how engaged and excited all the kids were. Some of these kids don’t participate in sports and may not typically have the opportunity to be part of the kind of fun yet competitive team activities like BOB.” – Parent ● “I see these kids every day and had no idea what to expect from them. I wasn’t sure how well they’d behave, I wasn’t sure of how much knowledge they actually retained from the books. But seeing how well they worked together, how much they knew. I couldn’t have been prouder of them. ” – Coach ● “The kids were very grateful for the presence of the volunteers. As a judge, I had several students approach me and our emcee after the match to thank us for the experience. ” – Volunteer

“What was most memorable?” Source: From the 2017 BOB Final Evaluation Survey which followed the BOB Tournament on 10/21/17 Who was polled? Team coaches, volunteers, parents of participants ● “The energy of the day and the good sportsmanship I witnessed among teams. Also the books chosen for the battles were AWESOME, the questions were excellent, and the formatting of the questions made my role SO much easier than last year.” ● “The kids' excitement and competition; working with colleagues I don't usually get to work with.” ● “All of the kids were really into it and the battles were intense. The children's final battle was my favorite because of how close the score was.” ● “The great books my son read, the confidence he gained from being part of the program and the new friends he made.” ● “The kids had a great sense of teamwork around an intellectually stimulating activity. It was also great for them to be exposed to a wider audience of kids from surrounding areas, not just local.” ● “The final children's battle coming down to the 25th question made for a very exciting end to the day! Aside from that, seeing the camaraderie of all of the teams throughout the day as they passed me in the halls was as heart-warming as ever. The Battle of the Books bags also seemed like they were a big hit, and I loved seeing everyone walk around wearing them. I also loved the literary touches that all of the teams brought to their outfits for the day, from the awesome Peekskill light-up shirts to the girls who streaked their hair like Ms. Bixby.” ● “Having a parent (from different town) praise during the pizza lunch how this event brought kids together over a common interest!”

Be sure to check-out the Wiki Page for the following editable forms/letters:

1. Photo Release Form (1 form per participant is required) 2. Permission Slip (1 form per participant is required) 3. Solicitation / Sponsorship Letter 4. Battle of the Books Sponsorship Form (Pat Braja of WLS) 5. Press Release – Library Team Recruiting Members 6. Battle of the Books School Support & PR Letter 7. BOB Letter to Schools 8. You can also find the 2014 Sponsorship 101 presentation with notes from Pat Braja (WLS)

Westchester Library System Battle of the Books http://wikis.westchesterlibraries.org/childrens/?page_id=1320 http://westchesterbattleofthebooks.com www.facebook.com/WLSBattleofthebooks