The Elmira Oregon Battle of the Books team has been preparing all year for this moment. They are feeling great for the regional competition this Wednesday at North Eugene High School.
OBOB is a voluntary, statewide reading “motivation and comprehension program sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries in conjunction with a Library Services and Technology Act grant.”
It is for students in 3rd through 12th grades.
Students are “exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints,” according to the OBOB website.
OBOB’s mission is to encourage and recognize people who love reading, to increase reading comprehension, to promote academic excellence, to promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students, and to broaden reading interests.
OBOB is primarily run by volunteers through the Oregon Association of School Libraries. It is funded partly by the Library Services and Technology Act.
OASL, and OBOB under it, are dedicated to diversity, inclusion, equity, anti-oppression, and anti-racism in their organization, practices and policies.
Falcon News contacted Elmira’s OBOB advisors asking how they are feeling about the battles and how they like the books so far.
Question: Who are the advisors this year?
Answer: “Ian Cooper, Sherry Cooper, Jessica Coone, and Stephanie Ziegler.”
Q: Where do you meet and at what time?
A: “We meet Mondays at 3:30 in the EHS library.”
Q: Who are the participants?
A: “Kara Catmull, Kelsey Hemple, Gwen Scadlock, [and] Arina Rose.”
Q: When does the competition take place?
A: “The State competition is on April 15 at Chemeketa Community College in Salem.”
Q: How are you feeling about the battles?
A: “Great! They are reading, and that always leads to better battles. Everyone seems to be invested in reading this year, and we have had some great book discussions so far. The overall consensus from our team members is that they are a bit jittery. It’s their first time doing high school OBOB!”
Q: How far do you think you will make it this year?
A: “As far as they want to go. The hope is always State.”
Q: What is your and the other advisors’ favorite book from this year’s OBOB selection?
A: Sherry Cooper: “The Dark Matter of Mona Starr.”
Jessica Coone: “A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World.”
Q: What are the strategies you are employing?
A: “Book talks, mock battles, encourage the reading.”
Q: Who is this open to?
A: “All high school students. Even online and home-schooled in our district area.”
Q: Does the middle school have a team?
A: “Yes. The middle school has four teams at this time and a history of two State titles since it started in the 2008-2009 school year.”
Q: What is our OBOB team’s history?
A: “OBOB started at EHS in 2009-2010. Judy Peterson (the district librarian) and Sherry Cooper were the first coaches, along with Heidi Connors, who helped out. EHS has had a team at regionals every year since then, except for last year. EHS has gone to State almost every year (except for two years). We have been on the final stage two times… in 2012, in which we lost to Westview (Ian Cooper was on that team), and in 2018 when we won the title. FYI both Ian and Jessica have participated in OBOB at EHS.”
The 2022-23 High School Books:
- “All Systems Red” by Martha Wells
- “Ashlords” by Scott Reintgen
- “A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World” by C.A. Fletcher
- “The Dark Matter of Mona Starr” by Laura Lee Gulledge
- “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson
- “I Love You so Mochi” by Sarah Kuhn
- “Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn
- “Not so Pure and Simple” by Lamar Giles
- “We Are Not Free” by Traci Chee
- “’What I Carry” by Jennifer Longo
- “With the Fire on High” by Elizabeth Acevedo
- “You Should See Me in a Crown” by Leah Johnson
For more information and past book titles visit: OBOB Website
