Local teams of 4^th-6^th graders from Mineral Wells ISD, Garner ISD, Perrin-Whitt ISD, Springtown ISD, Palo Pinto ISD, Graham ISD, Peaster ISD, and Azle ISD compete in the contest, which takes place in the Mineral Wells High School gymnasium. 

Around fifty avid readers from 5-8 different schools answer questions about details and characters from 10 different books in hopes of acquiring their names on the coveted “Battle of the Books” trophy cup currently displayed at Travis Elementary. 

Battle of Books is a reading incentive program that combines exceptional literature with friendly competition among schools. The goals of the program are to inspire, recognize, and reward student reading. It also helps to broaden a student’s reading interests and promotes quality academic achievement through literature.   

Teams have put in an enormous amount of time training for this contest.  To become a team member, a student must first qualify by taking a written exam over the ten books that they have been assigned. Next they establish practice times and training techniques with their new coaches. Every team participates in weekly study sessions in which they discuss their reading assignments and coaches assist in reinforcing their understanding of the literature.

During the actual battle, each team will stand behind a table with cards on it representing the book titles. A moderator will read aloud each question twice. Each team will have fifteen seconds to determine an answer. The team captain will hold up the selected title card to indicate the chosen answer. Each correct response is worth one point. A multiple answer round will also be included in the competition. The highest scoring team at the end of the competition will be considered the winner.

In the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie, each team is invited to attend a special luncheon hosted in their honor following the battle. During this time, a second honor is bestowed upon the team that displayed the most spirit during their competition. The “Spirit Award” is bestowed upon the team that demonstrates the best attitude, collaboration, and overall team spirit during the event. 

The annual Battle of the Books competition provides a great way for students to have fun with books, while encouraging reading and promoting reading comprehension.