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Mrs.
Philhower, the Oak Street School librarian loves Battle of the Books and
she is very excited to be hosting it again!
1.
When did you first hear about and become involved with Battle
of the Books?
I
started as Oak Street Librarian in February 2000, and one of my colleagues was
piloting Battle
of the Books in her school. (Battle
of the Books wasn’t started by us. It is an international reading
incentive program.) I was very
interested in seeing this program so I went to view the Battle
competition at her school. I
LOVED IT! I saw the excitement
of the kids as they were working together as teams, and the idea that they
read great books so that they could compete was awesome. I couldn’t wait to start the program at
Oak Street. The next year all 4 Bernards
Township
elementary schools implemented the program and it has run for 8 terrific years!
2.
Why do you think it's such a great program?
I
love the fact that the students read great books – sometimes these books
are not ones that they would pick off the library shelf.
The school librarians always pick books each year that will
encourage students to read great series, authors, and also expose the
kids to genres they might not have read before. Our goal
is to expose the students to the first in a terrific
series (so that they would want to continue the series) or to introduce
them to an awesome author who wrote many good books.You
don’t have to be a top reader to participate. All levels can read these
books, and most of the books are on audio.
Also, I love the fact that the kids are working with a team.
Teamwork is important in life, and Battle
is a good way to work on that important skill!
3. Have you ever picked a book that kids didn't like?
Readers
don’t love every book they read – I don’t!
Kids always have their favorites. But I love hearing kids say that they never knew about a series or
a book and they LOVED it and want to read more!
4.
Do you like hosting the Battle? Why?
Battle
competitions are
always a highlight of the program. Yes,
I LOVE it! Seeing the kids’
excitement and enthusiasm is always special.
Seeing good sportsmanship in action is also wonderful.
I love the fact that the parents can view the
competition, too. It is a
terrific way to end a year of hard work and reading!
5.
Why do you think kids should participate?
I have been teaching for 28 years and I have always encouraged my students
to read. I have never seen any
program as effective as Battle of the Books in that area! Battle
has definitely been an elementary-school highlight for many, many
students. Kids at WAMS and
Ridge still come back to visit, to see the “Wall of Fame”, and tell me
how they loved being a part of Battle of the Books!
6.
Do you have any helpful hints for kids participating for the first time?
Be a team player – do your reading to keep your part of the bargain,
because each team member promises to read a certain number of books. Read
one book a month. Most teachers
want the students to read each night anyway, so this is a perfect time to
read battle books! Pay
close attention to the events in each story. The Battle
questions are all about events in the stories. And,
learn all the authors and titles because that is a very important part of
the Battle
competition!
7.
Is there anything else you think kids should know about Battleof the Books?
Battle
of the Books will always hold a very special place when I think back over
my teaching career. I am very,
very grateful to the PTO for continuing this exceptional reading program,
and I can’t wait to kick it off with them and support them in any way I
can! And, I am really looking
forward to the Battle
competitions in April because I will be the MC!!!
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