As the annual Battle of the Books program for local fourth graders is set to begin in classrooms around Clallam County, the North Olympic Library System (NOLS) is excited to announce that the program is now open to homeschooled students.
Beginning in October, library staff will facilitate monthly book discussions for fourth-grade homeschooled participants between the ages of 9-10 at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St. All participants receive free copies of the book selections as well as a special competition T-shirt featuring original student artwork.
Register homeschooled fourth graders by Oct. 24 by visiting the Youth Services Department at the Port Angeles Library, calling 360-417-8500 x7705, or emailing Youth@nols.org.
Battle of the Books is a year-long collaborative project between NOLS and schools from around Clallam County. Throughout the year, library staff visit classrooms and facilitate discussions about each month’s book selection.
As a culmination to the program, teams of students from each school, in addition to a homeschooled team, will compete for a trophy on March 16 at the Port Angeles Library.
Books that will be read during this year’s Battle of the Books include: “El Deafo” by Cece Bell, “Fish In A Tree” by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, “The War that Saved My Life” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, “The Astounding Broccoli Boy” by Frank Cottrell Boyce and “A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans” by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder (illustrations by Mary GrandPré).
The final competition will include trivia questions about each book.
“The program is designed to encourage kids to be lifelong readers,” Youth Services Librarian Jennifer Knight said. “We want reading to be fun—having a Battle of the Books program is a way to cultivate that.”
The Battle of the Books program is supported by the Friends of Sequim Library, the Port Angeles Friends of the Library, and the Friends of the Forks Library.
For information about this and other programs for youth, visit the library website at www.nols.org, contact the Youth Services Department of the Port Angeles Library at 360-417-8500 x7705, or send an email to youth@nols.org.
