The countdown is on at Brownstown Middle School for the Battle of the Books, an event that not only tests students' literary knowledge, but also is geared towards bringing back the joy of reading.
The club began in February with 24 students in 6th and 7th grades who love to read and enjoy trivia. Students form a team of five or less and read the books on the book list however they choose - they may read all the books and some teams divide them up on the book list. The teams take notes and pay close attention to details since at the end of the reading period there is a culminating battle to determine winners. The team with the most points wins gift cards and there is also a new Kindle to be raffled off as well.
Students are able to attend practice sessions after school each Monday, but teams may also meet on their own time to discuss the books.
Sarah Rochon, sixth grade ELA teacher runs the club and chooses the books from the annual Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL) list. The books on the list are vetted through this group and are meant to be "lenses and mirrors" for our kids. The books include characters from all walks of life, and from all different ethnicities/backgrounds/lifestyles/beliefs.
“I try to include all different genres on the list so there is something that everyone can love,” Rochon said.
Additionally, Rochon said the books are meant to be inclusive books so students can see themselves in books with real things going on, and they are represented in a way where it’s normal with a variety of lifestyles, minority groups or disabilities.
This is the second year of the Battle of the Books, the first year was made possible through a National Life Group grant, and this year it was made possible through a grant from the Woodhaven-Brownstown Education Foundation. The goals of the club are simple: to bring back the joy of reading for students for enjoyment and fun.
“It’s important to engage families in literacy, and build some engagement at home with family reading,” Rochon said.
Books on the book list this year include:
Speak Up by Rebecca Burgess - this is a realistic fiction graphic novel about an autistic girl in middle school. It allows kids to see things from a perspective that's probably really unfamiliar to them. It teaches kids about some common feelings autistic kids might have and some behaviors they might exhibit.
“I think this book also highlights how absolutely normal the character really is even though she is autistic,” Rochon said. “She has normal middle-school-girl thoughts and feelings, and I think all kids can relate to that.”
When Impossible Happens by Jane Se Suza - this is a realistic fiction mystery set in India during COVID lockdown. The main character has a grandma she is very close to who gets COVID and then "disappears." She knows her grandma wouldn't just leave her without saying something, so she decides to investigate and try to figure out what happened to her from the confines of her apartment. She spends a lot of time looking out the window, and she actually witnesses a crime across the street. She has to then figure out a way to make the adults in her life listen to her and take her seriously instead of viewing her as a grieving child.
“I thought this book was great because it was one we can all relate to as far as being cooped up during lockdown, and one many people could relate to dealing with the loss,” Rochon said.
Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King - this is a realistic fiction book featuring a male main character who notices that his teacher has blacked out two phrases in their class novel. He is really upset by this, and even more so when he obtains a copy of the book from the local bookshop and learns what the phrases really say. He and his friends decide to fight back against the censorship at their school, going all the way to the school board to discuss the issue.
“This book is based on true events, and it is a great way to show kids that adults are not always right, and that if they believe in something, they should fight for it,” Rochon said.
Freewater by Amina Luqman Dawson - this is an historical fiction book set during the times of slavery in the US. Two kids run away from a plantation and find refuge deep in the Louisiana swamps. They find a community of escaped slaves that has been there so long that some children have never even seen slavery. They then have to decide if they will stay there in safety, or if they will return to the plantation to rescue their mama and good friend. This book won the Newberry and the Coretta Scott King awards.
“These swamp communities really did thrive, and this book is a glimpse into a way of life that many of us never even knew existed,” Rochon said.
Born to Fly by Steve Sheinkin - this is a nonfiction book all about the first Women's Air Derby. It details the backgrounds of many of the pilots who participated, and we learn so much about early aviation - the dangers, the thrills, the sabotage, the drama! This is a great insight into what it was like to be a woman in a field that was very much regarded as "man territory."
“I learned a lot about how a plane actually stays in the air, and the book makes you think about where women are today because of these trailblazers,” Rochon said.
Last year, Rochon said the winning team was determined with just a few points separating the teams, and all the students were very well prepared for the trivia.
For those who want to watch the trivia, the Battle of the Books is coming May 28 to Brownstown Middle School.