Marshalltown High School Library will host the Iowa High School Battle of the Books (IHSBOB) State Finals on Thursday, April 21, with a team from MHS competing for the state title.
Over 90 teams of 4-6 students in grades 9-12 across the state registered to compete this year. Students took two online tests about the books and authors of the IHSBOB list. The top 16 teams will travel to Marshalltown Thursday to compete to determine the top teams in the state.
The Marshalltown Book Mice from MHS qualified for the state finals. Team members include: Alex Cope, Tray Hickie, Libby Larson, Gwen Morrison, and Danielle Propst.
There are several BOB competitions across the state of Iowa for elementary and middle school students, but none could be found for high school students. So Susan Fritzell and Sue Inhelder, both teachers at Marshalltown High School, created their own in 2007. The competition has been opened state wide since 2008. Title lists are selected from previous year’s nominated titles of the following awards: Iowa High School Book, Alex, ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults, Coretta Scott King, Scott O’Dell, Newberry, Schneider, Pura Belpre, Printz, and Hugo Awards.
Committee members write fact-based questions about the books for competition in March and April.
The mission of IHSBOB is to introduce and encourage students to read award-winning literature of multiple genres through the fun and excitement of a game format.
