If you have school-aged children, you’ve likely come across Oregon’s Battle of the Books, or OBOB for short.
This annual reading program began in 2006 to encourage children to read. In teams of typically four to five, students read books from a designated list. They then “battle” against other teams in a question-and-answer style tournament. Teams earn points for correct answers. Winning teams advance and can even compete at a regional level.
At the heart of the OBOB program is a mission to encourage reading and recognize readers, as well as “to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence and to promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students.”
Book titles are chosen for three divisions: third to fifth, sixth to eighth and ninth to twelfth grades. Titles are selected from a variety of genres and at appropriate levels for each division. OBOB aims for “high quality, well-reviewed, age-appropriate titles,” many of which are Newberry and Oregon Reader’s Choice award winners.
The committees selecting the book titles strive for literature representing a variety of styles and viewpoints, with diverse and inclusive selections. OBOB notes that each child is not expected to read all of the books on the year’s list; if a parent has concerns about the content of a particular book, they can have their child opt out of reading it.
The books are usually made available through the child’s school to be checked out one or two at a time. Local public libraries should also have multiple copies or electronic editions of the current OBOB books.
The OBOB program is run primarily by volunteers through the Oregon Association of School Libraries and funded partially through the Library Services and Technology Act. Learn more about OBOB, find your region or get information about Book Grants for your school at oregonbattleofthebooks.org.
While the OBOB selections are considered Young Adult or YA in library lingo, that doesn’t mean they’re just for kids. Try reading the books at the same time as your children — there are exceptionally good titles and it will give you and your child something to bond over. It’s the perfect time of year to get cozy with a book. Book lists from previous years are available on the organization’s website.
A recent study found that children who read for pleasure were “associated with fewer mental health problems, including being less likely to have attention problems, fewer symptoms of stress, and fewer behavioral problems.”
Psychological Medicine, 2023. “Early-initiated childhood reading for pleasure: associations with better cognitive performance, mental well-being and brain structure in young adolescence.” Cambridge Press.
Just a few of the recent OBOB titles...
Grades 3-5
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Leonard (My Life as a Cat) by Carlie Sorosiak
Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra
Grades 6-8
Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy by Jonathan Hill
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Grades 9-12
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner
Published in the Feb/Mar 2025 print edition of MOM Magazine
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