2026-2027 Battle of the Books Competition

The Allegany County Library System, in partnership with Allegany County Public Schools, Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County, and Garrett County Public Schools, is excited to announce the return of the Battle of the Books, a spirited reading competition open to all students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.

What is Battle of the Books?
A reading competition for all sixth, seventh, and eight graders, designed to foster a love of reading and encourage students to read books outside their comfort zone. Students read books and compete against other teams in a battle of trivia questions. Allegany County Library System and Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County will have multiple copies in print, audio, and electronic formats for students to check out. Dress up as your favorite character and have fun! Each member of the winning team receives bragging rights (and a $100 Amazon gift card!)

Key Dates:

• Registration Opens: November 5, 2026
• Registration Deadline: January 8, 2027
• Battle of the Books Competition: March 10, 2027

Prepare for Battle!

Form your team
Find peers to join you in battle! Sixth, seventh, and eight graders are eligible to participate. Each team must have no more than 5 students and one volunteer team coach. It is not necessary for team members to attend the same school, but team members must be in the same grade. Students are responsible for forming their teams by January 8, 2027.
Looking to join a team? Students who have not found a team can contact Shea Morse via phone at 301-777-1200 ext. 1016 or via email at smorse@alleganycountylibrary.info.

Find your coach
A coach may be any interested parents, teachers, older students, family members, or community members. The coach is the contact person between the Battle team and the Battle of the Books organizers. Coaches help their team create a name and build team spirit, register their team for Battle, and make sure their team knows what to expect on Battle Day. Transportation will not be provided, and coaches are responsible for confirming transportation arrangements. Teams must be registered by January 8, 2027.
Coaches, register your team for battle here: bit.ly/BotB27

Read!
Each team must read all 10 books from the book list for their grade before the battle on March 10, 2027. Spread titles between team members, or read them all! The battle will use trivia questions pulled from all titles on the list.
Allegany County Library System and Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County will have multiple copies in print, audio, and electronic formats for students to check out.
Book lists can be found here: bit.ly/4kisvss

Battle!
The battle will take place at Frostburg State University on March 10, 2027 at 6:30 PM.
Dress up as your favorite character, have fun, and battle! Teams will compete in brackets by grade level (6, 7, and 8) in a trivia-style format using questions drawn from this year’s book lists. Each member of the winning team receives bragging rights (and a $100 Amazon gift card!)

Additional Information
Please email smorse@alleganycountylibrary.info with any questions regarding timeline, expectations, and book lists. We are also happy to answer any additional questions from students, parents, or those interested in coaching.