Battle of the Books-Sample Questions

The following are some examples of questions asked in written and oral battles.
Not all questions will fall into such precise categories.
(Hover your mouse pointer over the question to see the answer)

1.“Name of important character or significant nickname of a minor character”
Name the Battle character who had a “small notch in his right ear” that was the result of a childhood accident.

2. “In what book” questions
In what book did a character find that “wherever he was he wished he was somewhere else, and when he got there he wondered why he bothered?”

3. “Important setting or location”
In FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER, in what famous building do Claudia and Jamie hide?

4.“Short answer – significant event or object”
Michaelangelo’s work was identified with his stonemason’s mark. What did this mark look like?

5. "Comparison with another book(s) on the list”
In GREGOR THE OVERLANDER, Gregor fell to the Underland for a very long time, but very quickly. Give the first name of the character in another Battle book who fell for a very long time, but so slowly that “everything seemed stuck in turtle time.”

6. “Give one out of two or more possibilities”
Gina suggested one of the bylaws for the GET RICH QUICK CLUB should be that they all promise not to “run over each other with our bikes.” Name one of the bylaws Eddie and Teddy suggested.

7. “Quotation directly from the book”
In what book did a character say he liked to be thought of as a “papa…a stern papa because all good fathers are stern”?

8. “Definition of unique terms or important words”
When Solly came to the HHB for Dave, he told Dave he had to “schmeer the nebbish.” What did it mean to “schmeer the nebbish”?

9 “Why” questions
According to Ralphie, why should there be dogs on the jury in the murder trial of Mud Blossom?

Helpful Hints

n Listen carefully to the question. Is it asking for the title of the book or the name of a character? Did the question ask for both a first and last name?

n There are 3 ways to answer a question about a Battle character.

o If the question asks for the first and last name, both have to be correct.

o If the question asks “Name the Battle character,” you need to give a name such as “Mr. Morales.” You may give both the first and last names, but both names need to be correct. Saying “the principal” rather than a name would not be correct.

o If the question asks “What Battle character” any identifying name or title would be acceptable.

n When giving a title, use the complete title as listed on our Battle Booklist, such as “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” Just saying “From the Mixed-Up Files” is not acceptable.

n We will not ask for more information if your answer is incomplete. However, be careful to not give so much information that part of your answer is wrong.

n Multiple Choice and True/False questions will be used during Written Battles and as tie-breakers for Oral Battles. Many questions can be rewritten in these formats. Here are two examples:

TRUE OR FALSE: Claudia and Jamie Kincaid hid in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
(ANSWER: True)

MULTIPLE CHOICE: Which of the following was NOT included in the bylaws of the GET RICH QUICK CLUB?
A) No pushing each other in front of a car; B) No running over each other with their bikes; C) No hitting each other over the head with sharp sticks; D) No throwing each other off cliffs
(ANSWER: A – no pushing each other in front of a car)

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