Oregon Battle of the Books (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 Oregon Battle of the Books Committee is a volunteer-based group established in 2006 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. In the 1970s, author Sybilla Cook introduced the idea in Oregon, but it was not until 2006 that it got funding from the State Library of Oregon.

Regions

OBOB Regions by County [1]
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, Alex Gino's George was one of the 16 novels selected for students to read. It is 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 received 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]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Oregon Battle of the Books Handbook" (PDF). Oregon Battle of the Books. 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  2. ↑ "Oregon Battle of the Books – Battle for your School…with BOOKS!". Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  3. 1 2 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.
  4. ↑ Baer, April. "Book About Transgender Girl Breaks Ground — And Stirs Controversy — In Oregon Schools". www.opb.org. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
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