188 W. Hill St., Wabash, Indiana 46992
Phone: 260.563.2972
Fax: 260.563.0222
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2010 Battle of the Books

Battle of the books is a competition for students in grades 4-5 and 6-8, in which teams from local schools read a selected list of books and compete against each other using their knowledge of those books. It is sponsored by the library as a way to encourage young readers to develop the habit of reading for personal enjoyment and enrichment. The books selected for this program include classics in literature, Newberry Award winning titles, Young Hoosier Book Award winning titles, and currently acclaimed books for young readers that offer diversity in genre and reader appeal. Winning teams from each division will be awarded a pizza party.

4th and 5th grades

	Soupy Saturday by Judy Blume One more adventure at school and at home with Jake, a first-grader, and his older sister, Abigail, known to each other as The Pain and The Great One.
	Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
	The Sloppy Copy Slipup by DyAnne DiSalva Brian Higman is about to be in a major trouble, He didn't do his "sloppy copy," or first draft, of his writing assignment -and another big red zero is headed his way. His teacher, known as the General, is waiting.
	Bunnicula by James Howe Before it's too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household, a suspicious looking, bunny with unusual habits and fangs.
	Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret Pete's a cat. Specifically, Alex's cat. Since Alex and his family moved, Pete is Alex's only friend. Things start to look up when, Rocky, a new boy moves in next door. But Rocky isn't very friendly and Alex starts to suspect he's hiding something.
	Twisters and Other Terrible Storms by Will Osborne THis book describes the changing nature of weather and how meteorologists predict and study such storms as tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards.
	Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman A fictional account of the night freakish and devastating tornadoes hit Grand Island, Nebraska, as experienced by a 12 year old, his family, and his friends.
	George Washington's Socks by Elvira Woodruff An overnight camp-out turns into a harrowing trip to Colonial America in this action packed novel.

6th-8th grades

	George Washington Spymaster by Thomas B. Allen This non-fiction book describes how the Americans outspied the British and won the Revolutionary War.
	Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer Jenna Boller is the best employee at her branch of Gladstone's Shoes. Although, her life outside fo work is hard to handle and Jenna wishes she could get away sometimes. So when Madeline Gladstone, the president of Gladstone Shoe Stores, hires Jenna as her chauffeur for the summer, Jenna leaps right into the driver's seat and begins a cross-country adventure, where she and Mrs. Gladstone learn a lot about the rules of the road and life.
	Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach Named after a character from a Shakespearean play, Hero anticipates having a rough time starting the sixth grade at her new school. She isn't at all interested in this literary connection-not until she finds that there may be a diamond hidden in her new house, and that it may hold the key to the mystery of Shakespeare's true identity.
	The Phantom Tollbooth"It seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time," Milo laments. "[T]here's nothing for me to do, nowhere I'd care to go and hardly anything worth seeing." This bored, bored young protagonist who can't see the point to anything is knocked out of his glum humdrum by the sudden and curious appearance of a tollbooth in his bedroom. Since Milo has absolutely nothing better to do, he dusts off his toy car, pays the toll, and drives through. What ensues is a journey of mythic proportions, during which Milo encounters countless odd characters who are anything but dull.
	The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen Paulsen's dramatic account of the life of Bass Reeves, told through stories both real and imagined, makes him come alive as a boy and a man.
	Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver Evil stalks the land. According to legend, only 12 year old Torak and his wolf-cub companion can defeat it. Their journey together takes them through deep forests, across giant glaciers, and into dangers they never imagined.
	The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, God of the sea, 12 year old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.