Battle of the Books is a program that encourages children to read a variety of good books by outstanding authors of children’s literature. The Battle list, which may be found under Resources below, consists of forty books from many different genres. Included are books that are historical fiction, humor, science fiction, adventure, mystery, fantasy, and realistic fiction.

Teams from all over the El Paso County area participate. Students are encouraged to read as many of the forty books as possible. They may begin reading books from the “Battle” list as early as second or third grade, but the actual competition is limited to fifth graders. Teams of four students compete in school and district competitions and may go to a “Battle of the Books” festival in the spring where they compete with teams from other schools in the Pikes Peak region. The competition is set up on a “knowledge bowl” format where the teams learn to respond verbally to the questions asked. The competition itself tests their skills and also teaches sportsmanship as they practice being gracious winners or losers. The program is designed to expose children to literature, which will make them well-rounded readers as they enter middle school. ~ from the Battle of the Books website.