Battle of the Books

About Battle of the Books

The Battle of the Books is a book-based quiz competition for fourth and fifth graders in the Grand Traverse community. Kids read incredible stories together and then experience heart-pounding moments in competition.

Teams have a chance to win prizes for sportsmanship, team spirit, most creative team name, and more.

Why Participate?

Awesome Stories Everything from school troubles to survival adventures!  
Meeting Times with new friends.  
Good Books keep you warm on dark, snowy nights.  
Be part of a Team and win Prizes!

How it Works

Who is eligible to participate in Battle of the Books?
Any fourth or fifth grader attending school or residing within the boundaries of Grand Traverse County, Traverse City Area Public Schools district, Forest Area Community Schools district, Elk Rapids Public Schools district, Leelanau County, or Benzie County can join a Battle of the Books team.

Team members can be from any area school or be home-schooled.

A team can be composed of students from the same school or from a mix of schools. Be creative! How about Scout friends? Ski buddies? Neighbors?
Each fourth or fifth grader can only be on one team.

Each team must have a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 members.

In the fall, team members register and must include the name of their adult coach.

Each team receives a set of the 8 official battle books for free!

During battle season, kids meet with their teammates, have fun sharing the stories they’ve read, and get ready to prove that they are the best experts on these books in the Grand Traverse area.

Teams compete in the all-day Tournament – with three events to demonstrate their knowledge of the books and show their team strategy and spirit. The day’s finale includes recognition of top-scoring teams and an appearance by a well-known children’s author.

Lindsay Currie will shake up the 2025 Tournament

Battle of the Books welcomes Lindsay Currie as the featured author for the 2025 battle season. Currie is the New York Times best-selling author of Scritch Scratch, the Delta Games series, and The Mystery of Locked Rooms. Our readers will get to hear how Currie creates spooky tales that make you shiver and shake. Scritch Scratch won the Young People’s Literature Award in 2020 and was a choice for many state reading lists. Kirkus Reviews says Scritch Scratch offers the “just-right blend of history and spooky.”