Battle of the Books is a statewide competition that encourages students of all ages to read. This year, the Skagway School team will host its first-ever local event to prepare for the state competition.
“Battle of the Books happens all across the country,” said Coach Kortney Rupprecht. “In Alaska, our season starts at the end of September.”
Sponsored by the Alaska Association of Libraries, Battle of the Books is a statewide Alaska reading motivation and comprehension program designed to encourage student reading and improve reading comprehension while promoting academic excellence.
Rupprecht said that teams are divided into four grade-level categories: third and fourth, fifth and sixth, middle school and high school. During competition, each team of three competitors and one alternate is asked 32 questions from a list of 12 to 14 different books chosen for their grade level. The event is divided into three rounds with the highest scoring teams moving on to subsequent rounds. The top four advance to the final round.
To prepare for competition, students read the books, discuss them and quiz one another about the contents. Competitions are conducted in a quiz show format where students are asked a random question about a book from their reading list. Students are awarded points for identifying the book title and author.
Every Alaska school district has an opportunity to compete in the state competition by telephone. Since Skagway is the sole school in its district, preparation is key.
“So we are given, as coaches, a bunch of practice questions from the books at the beginning of the season, and then as the season progresses, you are given district questions to ask at your district competitions,” Rupprecht said.
Rupprecht provided an example of a question that students might be asked during competition and the thought process that goes into formulating an answer.
“In which book does a character sit in the dark in their grandmother’s afghan? And so out of a list of 12 to 14 … books that they’ve read, they have to remember specifically which character sat in the dark in their grandmother’s afghan,” Rupprecht said. “And not only do they have to … decide which one it is, [they have to] write the author and the title down, all within 30 seconds.”
Rupprecht said that one of her biggest challenges as a first-year coach is overwhelming demand for student participation.
“Because we have so much interest, there are two teams that have more than double what an actual battle team consists of,” she said.
In years past, the Skagway team only competed at the state competition but Rupprecht said she plans on hosting a local live battle to further encourage students who wish to participate.
“So, we will be doing a live battle just for me to see how each of the members do under stress, and for people to be able to come to the multipurpose [r00m],” Rupprecht said. “And see what it’s all about in real life because no one’s ever done that before.”
Last year, the Skagway team made it to the second round of the competition for the first time. Rupprecht said she’s hopeful that additional preparation in a competitive setting will help students perform even better at this year’s battle.
Regardless of the outcome, Rupprecht is proud of her competitors and said that it’s rewarding watching students get excited about reading more. Parents are equally thrilled.
“I know I’ve had several parents that have been absolutely thrilled that their kid has found a love for reading,” Rupprecht said.
As for students, they’re rewarded with an increased passion for reading, improved reading comprehension and some more immediate benefits.
“They get so passionate. I also use candy as a reward system,” Rupprecht said. “It’s very fun. And so they get very excited about how many pieces of candy that they might get at the end of the practice.”
Skagway’s first ever local Battle of the Books event will be held at Skagway School on Jan. 16.
