The purpose of the Battle of the Books program is to encourage reading by all students at the middle school level. Students, regardless of ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints by prominent authors in the area of young adult literature. The game format creates interest and excitement in reading. Through the fun and excitement of the competition, students improve reading skills, mature in their choices of reading materials, and acquire a broader knowledge base. Even during the height of the competition, students and coaches should remember that the goal is to READ, not necessarily to win!

History

North Carolina's Battle of the Books can be traced back to a public radio program in Chicago in the 1940s originated by Ruth Harshaw. Librarians exposed to the original show reconstructed the game to encourage reading today.

Michael Leonard, an Illinois native, first introduced the contest in Onslow County when he accepted the position of Children's Librarian for the Onslow County Public Library. His rationale for placing it at the sixth grade level was the dearth of activities in the public library and in the public schools for this aged child. In 1981, Onslow County Public Library sponsored the first North Carolina Battle of the Books contest for sixth graders.

The North Carolina Association of School Librarians assumed sponsorship of Battle of the Books in 1991. In 2000, the North Carolina School Library Media Association became a co-sponsor of Battle of the Books, and independent schools became a region for competition. The first state competition of Battle of the Books was held in 2001-2002. NCSLMA/NCLA provides certificates for system level and regional/cluster battles and also coordination of the program on a statewide basis.

Sample Battle of the Books Questions

• In which book is a young boy taken in by the Power of Darkness in an attempt to find his father? A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
• In which book does a young girl carry her mother’s ashes in a box when she returns home by train? Dicey’s Song, by Cynthia Voigt
• In which book does a boy find secret passageways, warnings and danger in the centruy old place his family had moved into? The House of Dies Drear, by Virginia Hamilton
• In which book does a boy dream of being taken to school by his father in a tractor trailer truck? Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary
• In which book does the main character feel like he does not live up to the expectations of being a preacher’s son? I Will Call It Georgie’s Blues, by Suzanne Newton.
• In which book does a boy use money from his college account to buy two bus tickets? Racing the Sun, by Paul Pitts
• In which book are the favorite books of a young girl, The Red Pony and The Yearling? Rabble Starkey, by Lois Lowry
• In which book is a young boy kidnapped so he can play his fife to the people on a ship? Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox
• In which book is a young boy warned by a ghost of an impending train accident? The Ghost Belonged to Me, by Richard Peck
• In which book does the dream and the run become one? Dogsong, by Gary Paulsen

Our Award Winning Wolf

Kenai, a hybrid wolf, was born in Alaska in 1989. She was brought from Alaska to Stanly County, North Carolina as a wee pup by Andy Cotton. Ruth and Andy Cotton have provided Stanly, Rowan, and Cabarrus Counties with educational programs about wolves in general and Kenai in particular for more than a decade. During summer 2000, Ruth, who works in our Youth Services Division, took Kenai to all five Stanly County Public Library locations as part of our Summer Reading Progrm. In 2000, the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association recognized "Kenai the Wolf" as the outstanding children's program of the year.

... special congratulations to Gray Stone Day School -- the winners of the 2008 Quiz Bowl.

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History of Quiz Bowl

The Public Library Quiz Bowl began in 1980. It is a program of academic competition among teams of North Carolina high school students. 2002 is the 19th year that Stanly County has participated.

Would you like to help out with Quiz Bowl?

We need a few good volunteers. Requirements? It depends on the job. If you're interested, give Ruth Cotton, the local coordinator, a call at the main library: 704 986-3758.

How to Prepare for Quiz Bowl Competition

1. Know the rules. Read the manual--ask your coach or Ms. Cotton for the manual nearest you.
2. Keep up with current events. Read the newspapers. Don't ignore local, regional or state happenings. Scan the weekly news magazines. A few of our favorite news websites: www.cnn.com, www.moreover.com, www.usatoday.com, www.msnbc.com.
3. Memorize The World Book Encyclopedia. Just kidding. But! There are several good, concise, general reference tools out there, to bone up on the basics. Here's just a few: The World Almanac, Information Please, The New York Public Library Desk Reference, Everything You Need to Know About World History Homework.
4. Stay awake in class. Do your homework. Not kidding. Learn something in school that might be useful later? Hey, stranger things have been known to happen...

Mary Anne Marx, a member of the SCPL Kids! staff, has owned many different type of birds and other critters. She and her son Seth have performed for numerous groups throughout the county and have entertained hundreds of kids and adults alike for our own Summer Reading Program. In deserved recognition, Mary Anne, Seth, Admiral, Cupid, and all the rest were named as an Outstanding Children's Program by the North Carolina Public Library Director's Association.

At the Badin Library

Tuesdays, 11:00 am... Open to the general public and geared for children aged 2 through 5. For more information, call (704) 422-3218.

At the Norwood Library

Wednesdays, 3:15 pm.... Open to the general public. For more details about this program please call (704) 474-3625

At the Oakboro Library

Mondays, 9:30 am... Open to the general public. For more information, call (704) 485-4310

At the Main Library in Albemarle

Wednesdays, 10:00 am... Open to the general public. Geared for children aged 2 through 5. No reservations necessary for individuals and groups with less than 8 children. Storytime takes place in the Children's Room.

Storytime at the Main Library usually lasts 20-25 minutes. We prepare a variety of stories so that we can adapt to a wide range of attention spans and interest levels. We often have songs, flannelboard stories, and occasionally a puppet or two! We try to include stories and activities that encourage audience participation. But the main emphasis is sharing great books. For more information about this program, please call (704) 986-3758.

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Would you like to bring a group to Storytime?
If you have a group you'd like to bring to Storytime, we would love to have you. But please call ahead so that we can pick stories more appropriate for a larger group (what may be great for a group of ten children might not be as effective for a group of thirty).

Dial-A-Story
You can listen to a story without ever leaving home. Call (704) 983-6118 to listen to a 2 - 4 minute story, appropriate for all ages.

Early Childhood Resource Center
The ECRC, which is operated by the Stanly County Partnership For Children (Smart Start) also has storytimes for young children. They have toys, videos and a wide variety of educational materials. Every Stanly County citizen should know about this wonderful place! The ECRC is located in the Stanly County Commons. Give them a call at (704) 985-1418.

Would you like to volunteer?
We welcome guest readers for storytimes and Dial-a-Story. Call (704) 986-3758 for more details.