Join us for the Battle of the Books, a free annual trivia tournament that celebrates literacy and a love of reading among elementary school children in Barrie and Oro-Medonte, specifically for grades 4 to 8.

Participating schools will form teams of enthusiastic readers who will tackle our annual book list. With the guidance of a Teacher-Librarian or an adult coach, students can effectively divide the reading list, participate in practice trivia games, and engage in various activities designed to enhance teamwork and enjoyment of reading.

To further support our teams, the Barrie Public Library will visit participating schools, bringing fun activities and additional resources to help students prepare for the semi-final and Grand Battle events. Teams can also arrange extra meetings with library staff upon request. Each library location will have multiple copies of the books on the annual list available for students to borrow with their library cards.

Important Dates:

• Semi-Final Battles: Early May 2025 at Downtown and Painswick Libraries
• Grand Battle: Early May 2025 (exact date to be announced) at the Five Points Theatre

We can't wait to see the excitement and camaraderie as students dive into reading and compete for the title!

Please find the booklist here.

Please find the rules here

 Congratulations to last year's winners:

• 1st: Codrington
• 2nd: Assickinack
• 3rd: Terry Fox 

Battle of the Books is a fun, interactive in person trivia extravaganza  featuring the Ontario Library Association Silver Birch Forest of Reading Nominee titles, some classics and more. Students in Grades 4 to 8 are challenged to read the books, then come together and challenge other teams to become the ultimate battle of the books champion. Use your book smarts to test your knowledge and play our online trivia games and related activity cards.

 Teachers and parents! Your students can get copies of all the Silver Birch Forest of Reading titles with a library card. Complete or share this online application to get them started on a reading adventure.