Oregon Battle of the Books' mission
is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and to promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students.
OBOB is open to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. Participating students get into teams of 4 or 5, split up the 16 book reading list, and prepare to battle. The battles, which will take place at the end of February or early March, consist of two teams competing against each other, answering questions about the books.
Timeline
Resources
- SORA – Students can use their my.pps login to access ebooks and audiobooks.
- OBOB Book to Author Match – Worksheet to practice author-book match.
- Beaverton Library OBOB Practice Questions
- Cedar Mill Library Practice Questions
- Lake Oswego OBOB Practice Questions
- Multnomah County OBOB – Place holds for books and ebooks.
- Washington County OBOB Practice Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students can participate in a battle?
At Woodstock, 4-5 students can participate on a team. If you are the team that wins at Woodstock and moves on to the regional battles, then only 4 students can participate in each battle. Teams with 5 students will have to rotate a student in/out each battle they participate in.
It feels unfair to have 5 kids on a team. Can you address that?
It makes sense that teams of 4 might feel like it’s unfair, though the way I think of it, more doesn’t necessarily = better. Oftentimes, with 4 kids it’s more efficient/simpler to communicate during that quick 15 seconds. Teams of 5, while there is more “brain power,” it can be tougher to get the answer sorted out within the time limit. Sort of like a “too many cooks in the kitchen” type of scenario. There are definitely pros and cons either way.
Can I say the series title when giving an answer?
Yes! You may say the title of the book plus the series name or just say the title of the book given on the OBOB book list. You may not just say the series name.
Does the author’s middle name need to be stated?
- Author pronunciations should be reasonable and recognizable … but do not need to be pronounced exactly how the author would pronounce their own name …
- Names must be given exactly as stated on the card, including any initials or middle/multiple names (e.g., B.B. Alston (6-8); Molly Knox Ostertag (6-8); C.A. Fletcher (9-12))
- Exception: Books with two authors can be given in either order
(e.g., Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu OR Ann Xu and Lily LaMotte is acceptable (3-5). If a team gives only one of the two authors, there is no credit – “incorrect”)
2024-2025 OBOB Parent Coordinators
Kjersti Dodds and Elaine Hsieh
Send your questions to woodstockobob@gmail.com
Volunteer Opportunites!
Each battle will need a timekeeper and two scorekeepers.
Sign-ups will be sent out in February
