Battle of the Books is a ready-to-use annual reading program and tournament that transforms literacy into a fun, team-based challenge for students in Grades 4–6. Rooted in the Silver Birch Fiction Award® Nominees from the Forest of Reading, the program offers a diverse list of 10 specially selected titles, ensuring every child finds something to enjoy—whether they are an avid reader or just beginning to build confidence.

From mid-October students start to form teams, choose a name, register and divide up the reading. In the spring schools host exciting head-to-head battles where teams race the clock to answer questions that test comprehension, character understanding, and attention to detail. The competition is more than just a quiz—it gamifies reading, blending learning with friendly competition to foster teamwork, accountability, and a genuine love for books.

The program is inclusive, flexible, and customizable—schools can run it during class time, as a single-day event, or across a full week. Our tournament software and ever-growing Question Bank (with over 2,000 vetted questions and counting) make it easy to manage schedules, scoring, and leaderboards.

To support access, we created the Sister School Program, where well-resourced schools sponsor others by donating or repurchasing books. Parent councils, teachers, older students, and even grandparents can volunteer as moderators, coaches, or supporters—making it a true community-driven event.

Aligned with school curriculums, Battle of the Books enhances reading comprehension while building confidence, curiosity, and character. Students learn to work as a team, sharpen social skills, and grow a love of reading that stays with them long after the competition ends. It is not only about winning—it’s about inspiring students to see reading as exciting, rewarding, and transformative.

WHEN
The program begins each fall as the new school year settles into routine and the Silver Birch nominees are announced mid-October. Students can start reading and form their teams at this time. Allow at least three months for teams of four to self-direct their reading of the 10 selected titles. Schools may also choose a shorter list of 5 or 8 books.

Tournament Duration: Flexible; consider: a morning, a class period, a full day or a week long.
Battle Times: Morning, lunch, afternoon, a single class period, or a full-day event. You set the schedule, and the tournament software helps determine the best format.

WHERE
Battles can take place in the library, gym, classrooms, outside, or even in a hallway during lunch—anywhere students can gather.

WHO
The principal approves the event, the librarian champions it, and support comes from a small group of dedicated teachers, parents, students, parent councils, or even grandparents. Volunteers play an important role in organizing and running the tournament, making it a true school-community effort.

Schools also have the option to invite our team to manage the entire program—from registration and book ordering to game-show-style playoffs and awards.

At its core, Battle of the Books is a student-driven program. Students form teams, read the books, and take ownership of their learning. While schools may assign teams if needed, students are most engaged when they make their own choices and learn accountability to their teammates.

Get ready for an exciting challenge!
Students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 will form teams of 3 or more players. Before the December holiday break, teams will choose a unique name and register officially. Once registered, teammates will dive into the 10 selected books, dividing the reading among themselves—with some overlap encouraged for stronger preparation.

The Tournament
In the spring, there is a buzz of excitement school-wide! Teams will compete in head-to-head battles, answering questions about the books in a fast-paced tournament. No books, cell phones, or recording devices are permitted in the battle room—it’s all about teamwork, preparation, and knowledge.

The Silver Birch Fiction Award® Nominees are announced each fall in mid-October. Run by the Forest of Reading through the Ontario Library Association, this province-wide program promotes literacy and a love of reading for young readers. The 10 nominated titles offer an incredible range of stories—from fantastical adventures to powerful, life-changing tales—and form the go-to list for Battle of the Books, ensuring there is something for every reader to enjoy. [Click here to see this year’s reading list.]

Many schools purchase their books through Tinlids, the official provider of the Silver Birch nominees. However, books can be costly, and not every school has the resources. To help bridge this gap, we’ve launched the Sister School Battle of the Books Program, where one school sponsors another by repurchasing books on their behalf or donating the titles they’ve already purchased.

Schools may also apply to receive free access to our Question Bank, giving them the tools to participate even if book budgets are limited. In some cases, parent councils step in to support fundraising, ensuring that books are available in classrooms and libraries. Our goal is for students to have books in hand by the end of November, giving them plenty of time to dive in, read, and prepare for the tournament.

And don’t forget—students can also access these titles through the Toronto Public Library (TPL) network. We encourage families to review the book list together as an opportunity to discuss topics in a safe and supportive environment. Every child is unique, and families may wish to ensure the selections align with their preferences. We fully support parents and students in choosing books that feel right for them—without taking away from the inclusive, fun atmosphere of the competition.

Get ready for an unforgettable reading adventure!

Get ready for an action-packed week of competition! Teams will face off against their peers, with each round featuring a brand-new set of questions to keep the excitement alive. Battles can run from quick 10-minute lightning rounds to more intense 30-minute matches, testing students’ comprehension and knowledge.

There’s always high demand from students to play more rounds and challenge more teams. When planning, consider your resources—time, scoring systems, and available rooms. Our Battle of the Books Tournament software (or our team) can help you customize the tournament to fit your school’s needs.

Let the battles begin!

Moderators are the backbone of the tournament, ensuring every battle runs smoothly and fairly. They can be librarians, teachers, parents, older students, or even grandparents. In a classroom battle, the teacher can take on the role, while in a full-week tournament, there are typically two moderators per match: the Question Moderator, who asks the questions, and the Score/Buzzer Moderator, who manages the buzzers and records the scores. These dedicated roles are filled by volunteers from the school community, and their time and effort make the event possible. A big thank-you to all who step up to support!

We know the school year is already busy with sports, choir, drama, and after-school programs. That’s why our tournament software streamlines the process—simply plug in your dates and times, and it automatically handles scheduling for moderators and volunteers. The Battle of the Books team is also here to help identify strategies and solutions to ensure your tournament is well supported and runs smoothly.

Effective approaches include early recruitment, involving support staff and teachers, and even inviting the principal to moderate. When responsibility is shared across the school community, the result is an event filled with energy and excitement—one that inspires students to give their best.

To further reduce workload, our platform also automates tasks like sorting questions for each battle and generating live leaderboards. And we’re continuing to expand—stay tuned for even more features as our network of schools grows!

All questions are carefully prepared and vetted by teachers, parents, top English students, and grandparents—making it a truly multigenerational effort. For each battle, questions are randomly selected from the 10 chosen books, and once used, they will not appear again.

Questions focus on characters, settings, plot details, narrative themes, and quotes, ensuring clarity and minimizing ambiguity.

Our Question Bank grows as our network of schools expands, with all content easily accessible through our software. By becoming an annual member, schools can select questions by book, set, or category, giving teachers powerful tools to strengthen reading comprehension skills.

Run an in-class tournament and see results instantly!

Customize your tournament based on your schools needs and available resources - run it during class, in one day, or across a week. The tournament software makes setup and scoring simple.

Battle of the Books builds more than reading skills—it develops confidence, teamwork, curiosity, and school spirit. Students strengthen fluency and comprehension, teachers and librarians gain tools to support literacy without extra strain, principals see measurable gains in engagement and culture, and parents witness their children becoming more motivated and accountable readers.

Measuring Effectiveness
To ensure the program delivers meaningful results, we are working on tracking impact through a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures:

Student Achievement: Pre- and post-program comprehension and fluency checks.

Engagement: Number of books read, participation rates, and tournament involvement.

Feedback: Surveys from students, teachers, and parents on confidence, enjoyment, and ease of implementation.

Community Impact: Volunteer hours, parent involvement, and year-over-year growth in participation.

Technology supports this process, with tournament software that automates scoring, creates leaderboards, and collects participation data. Combined with feedback and assessment, these metrics help schools see the program’s value, celebrate successes, and identify opportunities for improvement.