Oregon Battle of the Books
Oregon Battle of the Books
Oregon Battle of the Books (or OBOB) is a trivia style reading competition where students grades 3 to 12 compete against one another by answering a series of questions based upon a list of books they are given at the beginning of the year. The list is around 15 books long [1]and questions will be asked of any of the books for that age division in Jeopardy! style. [2]
For the preliminary tournament it starts off in pool play style tournaments, then the next round is in the style of stepladder or bracket play.
Students can choose to participate in the local, district, regional, and state level of the program.[1]
History
The organization is a volunteer-based group supported by the Oregon Association of School Libraries (or OASL). The idea was sparked by the Chicago Public Library who in the mid-1900s had a radio show with a similar concept. Later in the 1970's author, Sybilla Cook introduced the idea in Oregon. But it wasn't until 2006 that it got funding from the Oregon State Library.
Regions
| Regions | Divisions 3-5 | Divisions 6-8 | Divisions 9-12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clatsop | Clatsop | Clatsop |
| Columbia | Columbia | Columbia | |
| Tillamook | Tillamook | Tillamook | |
| Washington | Washington | Washington | |
| 2 | Marion | Marion | |
| Linn | Linn | ||
| Yamhill | Yamhill | ||
| Polk | Polk | ||
| Lincoln | Lincoln | ||
| Benton | Benton | ||
| 2 East | Marion | ||
| Linn | |||
| 2 West | Yamhill | ||
| Polk | |||
| Lincoln | |||
| Benton | |||
| 3 North | Lane | Lane | Lane |
| 3 South | Coos | Coos | Coos |
| Douglas | Douglas | Douglas | |
| 4 North | Multnomah | Multnomah | Multnomah |
| Hood River | Hood River | Hood River | |
| 4 South | Clackamas | Clackamas | Clackamas |
| Wasco | Wasco | Wasco | |
| 5 | Lake | Lake | Lake |
| Klamath | Klamath | Klamath | |
| Jackson | Jackson | Jackson | |
| Josephine | Josephine | Josephine | |
| Curry | Curry | Curry | |
| 6 | Sherman | Sherman | Sherman |
| Gilliam | Gilliam | Gilliam | |
| Morrow | Morrow | Morrow | |
| Umatilla | Umatilla | Umatilla | |
| Union | Union | Union | |
| Wallowa | Wallowa | Wallowa | |
| Baker | Baker | Baker | |
| Malheur | Malheur | Malheur | |
| 7 | Jefferson | Jefferson | Jefferson |
| Deschutes | Deschutes | Deschutes | |
| Crook | Crook | Crook | |
| Wheeler | Wheeler | Wheeler | |
| Grant | Grant | Grant | |
| Harney | Harney | Harney |
Controversy
For the 2018-19 school year, George, was one of the 16 novels selected for students to read. It's a novel about a 10-year-old transgender girl who goes by the name of Melissa. It is a coming of age novel targeted for students aged 8 to 12. [3] Despite all the praise the book recieved from its initial release, it was featured two years in a row on the American Library Association's list titled "10 Most Challenged Books" for years 2016 and 2017[3]
Two school districts, Hermiston School District and Cascade School District, both decided to drop from the competition. They claimed that the content of the book was too mature for the students but mentioned that it had nothing to do with Transgender rights. [4]
Citations
- ^ a b c "Oregon Battle of the Books Handbook" (PDF). Oregon Battle of the Books. 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Oregon Battle of the Books – Battle for your School…with BOOKS!". Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ a b Butler, Sarah Lorge (2018-05-08). "Parents Are Divided Over a Book in a Popular Student Reading Program in Oregon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ Baer, April. "Book About Transgender Girl Breaks Ground — And Stirs Controversy — In Oregon Schools". www.opb.org. Retrieved 2020-02-21.