Durham Public Schools Battle of the Books
Embedded Files
High School- Friday, February 26th, 2027 @ Staff Development Center from 9:00am-2:00pm
Elementary School Cohort Competitions- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 8-10th, 2027 @ City of Medicine Academy from 9:00am-2:00pm
Elementary Finals- Friday, March 12th, 2027@ City of Medicine Academy from 9:00am-1:30pm
Middle School- Thursday, March 11th, 2027 @ City of Medicine Academy from 9:00am-2:00pm
Volunteer Officials Needed!
Complete the Volunteer Form now if you want to be a competition official.
Battle of the Books Officials Training Zoom Sessions
Wednesday February, 17th, 2027 OR Thursday, March 4th, 2027
Choose your time: 9am, 1pm, 4pm Join the meeting Meeting ID: 297 801 929 608 457
On site training will also be available on the morning of the competition.
Battle of the Books Roles & Rules
Officials Roles and Information
Signal end of 20 seconds if answer has not been initiated by the team.
Signal end of 10 seconds if the rebound answer has not been initiated by the team.
Keep a score for each question.
Prior to finalizing scores for each round, ensure a coach from each team signs to approve paper score sheets.
Post scores at each round completion on the score chart and/or an electronic scoreboard.
Announce scores at the end of each round.
Judge (1 or 2 per room)
Monitor behavior of competing teams and supervise team rotation (two designated judges, one judge per team).
Validate and announce all answers as correct/incorrect (one designated judge).
Make decisions regarding challenges to procedures, questions, answers, or time. Judges will confer before reaching a decision. The judges’ decision is final.
Moderator/Backup Judge as needed
Review rules and questions before competition begins.
When reading the question:
State team member's name.
Read each question as written by the state committee.
Again state team member's name to indicate the beginning of time.
Moderator may repeat the question, if requested.
Wait for confirmation from the judge on the correctness of the answer before moving to the next question.
*The words “quote” and “end quote” are unnecessary and will not be used at the state competition.
Special thanks to~
Ruth Key, Retired DPS Media Coordinator
Dr. Kim Mayo, Retired DPS Media Coordinator
All volunteer officials as listed below
OFFICIALS' ASSIGNMENTS
(Use the scroll bar on the right to see all competition days' schedules.)
(TBD- will be posted 7-10days before each competition)
Book Lists
2026-2027 Elementary School Battle of the Books List
Amari and the Night Brothers B.B. Alston
The Very, Very Far North Dan Bar-el
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez Adrianna Cuevas
The Mystery of Locked Rooms Lindsay Currie
Popcorn Rob Harrell
Linked Gordon Korman
Not If I Can Help It Carolyn Mackler
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl Stacy McAnulty
Radiant Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Wish Barbara O’Connor
Wildfire Rodman Philbrick
Root Magic Eden Royce
Impossible Creatures* Katherine Rundell
The Elephant in the Room Holly Goldberg Sloan
Mabuhay! Zachary Sterling
A Rover’s Story Jasmine Warga
2026-2027 Middle School Battle of the Books List
Agent Most Wanted* Sonia Purnell
All Thirteen Christina Soontornvat
Blood in the Water Tiffany D. Jackson
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn Sally J. Pla
Island of Spies Sheila Turnage
The Last Cuentista Donna Barba Higuera
Long Lost Jacqueline West
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish Pablo Cartaya
Nyxia Scott Reintgen
Other Words for Home Jasmine Warga
Restart Gordon Korman
The Secret Battle of Evan Pao Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Shark Teeth Sherri Winston
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Kwame Mbalia
Two Tribes Emily Bowen Cohen
When We Flew Away** Alice Hoffman
*young readers adaptation of A Woman of No Importance
**student choice selection
2026-2027 Elementary School Battle of the Books List
Six of Crows* Leigh Bardugo
Firekeeper’s Daughter Angeline Boulley
You and Me at the End of the World Brianna Bourne
Under the Same Stars Libba Bray
Promise Boys Nick Brooks
The Headmaster’s List Melissa de la Cruz
Death in the Jungle Candace Fleming
The Reappearance of Rachel Price Holly Jackson
Better than the Movies Lynn Painter
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager Ben Philippe
Salvación Sandra Proudman
Brownstone** Samuel Teer
Where Wolves Don’t Die Anton Treuer
Every Time You Hear That Song Jenna Voris
Dragon Hoops** Gene Luen Yang
Iron Widow Xiran Jay Zhao
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