Jasmine Warga

Event and Book

*Please note: Battle of the Books is an all day event. Doors open to the public at 3:30 p.m. at TC West Senior High School in the gymnasium. A recorded version will be available on the NWS website after the event.

For this year’s Battle of the Books event, we are excited to welcome New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Warga to cap off the tournament.

She will help crown the top teams, give an inspiring talk, and field an always unpredictable mix of questions from the young readers in attendance.

Jasmine brings an understanding of the greater world to young readers. Her most recent book, Other Words for Home was inspired by visiting a Syrian family friend and the interactions between the family of those born in America and those that came to America from Syria. In her research over the course of writing the book, she interviewed members of Cincinnati’s Syrian community.

We are thrilled to include Other Words for Home, a John Newbery Honor award book, as one of our Battle of the Books selections for 2023. Her books have won numerous accolades, including a Walter Honor for Young Readers and a Charlotte Huck Honor.

A Rover’s Story, her latest novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller, an Indie Next List and a Junior Library Guild selection, and was named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly.

Jasmine currently teaches in the MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Originally from Cincinnati, she now lives in the Chicago-area with her family in a house filled with books.

About Battle of the Books:

Battle of the Books is a free, 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. This year’s Battle of the Books has been reimagined with more fun events to encourage all teams!

The Battle of the Books season begins in fall when teams of 4-6 kids are formed. Each team has a coach, usually a wonderful parent (thank you!).

In early winter, there’s the Book Handout event, which is really a fun party, hosted by the Traverse Area District Library, our generous partner-in-battle. At the Book Handout, teams take part in activities that reveal the official battle books as they go along. Teams find out what they’ll be reading in the coming months, and each team goes home with a bag of books (provided by NWS free of charge).

Then they read. and memorize. and read more. and strategize. Teams brainstorm team names and slogans like the Bookie Wookies and the Storytroopers. Weeks of preparation culminate at the Battle of the Books Tournament, an all-day event held on April 15 at Traverse City West High School. Teams rotate through four challenges to demonstrate their knowledge, creativity, and teamwork. At the day’s end, teams gather to celebrate reading and get the chance to meet and hear from the special featured author of a book they read.We’re pretty confident that the teams will create a wave of reading enthusiasm that will touch many people in the whole community—from siblings to school friends, from teachers to bookstore patrons.

We are grateful to all who make Battle of the Books possible. This program is a huge undertaking that involves an amazing planning committee and a dedicated group of volunteers, coaches, and parents. Thank you to all involved with a special shout-out to our partner, the Traverse Area District Library.

To learn more about Battle of the Books and to see all the amazing books on this year’s reading list, visit www.battleofthebooksgt.com. (Not sponsored by the Traverse City Area Public Schools)

Jasmine Warga

Jasmine Warga is the New York Times-bestselling author of middle grade novels Other Words For Home, The Shape of Thunder, and A Rover’s Story. Other Words For Home earned multiple awards, including a John Newbery Honor, a Walter Honor for Young Readers, and a Charlotte Huck Honor. The Shape of Thunder was a School Library Journal and Bank Street best book of the year, a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Children’s and YA Book Award, and has been named to several state award reading lists. A Rover’s Story, her latest novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller, an Indie Next List and a Junior Library Guild selection, and was named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly. Jasmine currently teaches in the MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Originally from Cincinnati, she now lives in the Chicago-area with her family in a house filled with books.