READING REBELS PRESENTS…
Battle of the Books is a unique, ready-to-use reading program that kids love. It is fun, meaningful, self-directed, and it welcomes students of all reading levels. Through friendly competition and perspective-expanding stories, it helps children grow in character, confidence, and curiosity—making reading something they choose and enjoy.
Battle of the Books is a fully supported, ready-to-use reading program and competition designed to spark a love of reading, build school spirit, and engage students across grade levels. It supports teachers and librarians by providing everything needed to run the program smoothly—without adding extra strain on time or resources.
Listen to the Audio Summary: Battle of the Books Program
Success Stories…
"Battle of the Books is great value—it engages an entire class or school, not just a handful of strong readers, and builds year-long excitement around reading."
Christie - Parent
FACT: Reading a diverse curated selection of books helps develop empathy by understanding different perspectives.
THANK YOU so much for Battle of the Books – it was amazing! The program clearly creates a love of reading – so much so, that I too want to read the books!
You did such a beautiful job. Inter-school competition sounds like fun!
The kids had so much fun.
Hope you can bring this great reading opportunity to other schools.
Rita Tsiotsikas, Principal
“I am incredibly proud of Deer Park’s students’ enthusiasm and commitment to the Forest of Reading Program and their participation in Battle of the Books. This initiative not only promotes a love of reading but also builds teamwork, confidence and critical thinking. It’s inspiring to see students engage with Canadian literature while supporting one another in a friendly, knowledge-based competition. The program helps create lifelong readers and learners!”
Carmelo Nanfara, Principal
Why It Works…
Literacy: Deep Reading and Critical Thinking
Confidence: Students Show Pride in Accomplishment
• Collaboration: Team Spirit and Rich Community Experience
• Accessibility: Failure-safe and Inclusive of All Reading Levels
Literacy: Deep Reading and Critical Thinking Confidence: Students Show Pride in Accomplishment • Collaboration: Team Spirit and Rich Community Experience • Accessibility: Failure-safe and Inclusive of All Reading Levels
Program Toolkit…
-
Curated Books Lists
“We partner with the Forest of Reading, using Silver Birch Award nominees selected by the Ontario Library Association to bring young readers a wide variety of stories and inclusive voices.”
-
Comprehensive Question Bank
“With over 2,000 questions and growing, the Battle of the Books question bank is one of our most valued resources. Questions are written and curated by parents, teachers, and top English high school students.
-
Tournament Software
Automated web-based tournament platform: game scheduling, question assignment to each game, team selection, scoring leaderboard, and more…
-
Turnkey Resource Guide and Planning Templates
Guided checklist of tasks to accomplish, pre-written emails, tips for smooth event organization and more…
-
Coaching and Event Faciliation
“Bring one of our facilitators on to organize the entire program and integration. We can also coach your team through the first year to ensure a smooth launch and lasting success.”
The Heart of the Program…
Fostering a Love of Reading
Building literacy skills at all reading levels through an engaging format
Easy to Implement
We offer step-by-step checklists, templates, leaderboards, and pre-sorted questions for each 'battle,' making event management easy.
Develop Teamwork Skills
Developing communication, problem solving, critical thinking and cooperation through connection.
Fosters an environment that promotes team spirit and healthy competition, making it both entertaining and educational.
Scaleable and Flexible:
Whether you want to start small or involve the whole school, we can customize based on your resources: moderators, location, schedules
Inclusive and Curriculum-Aligned
The program supports all reading levels, with quizzes designed to meet grade standards, making it both fun and educational.
Pick the Perfect
Tournament Plan…
Tournament Wizard Software
$300/ annually
Full Tournament Organization: Team registration, question sorting by difficulty and by game, scoreboards, and more...
Question Bank
$347/ annually
Questions Created from all 10 Forest of Reading Fiction Nominees (2025)
Access to 500 questions (50 questions per book for all 10 books)
Tournament Wizard Software & Question Bank
$597/ annually
Full Tournament Organization: Team registration, question sorting by difficulty and by game, scoreboards, and more...
Access to 500 questions (50 questions per book for any of the 20+ books)
Add-Ons
$37+/ annually
Additional Questions: $37/50 questions
Custom Quiz Sets: $79/set of 50 questions
Rules and Templates: $47 entire set
Customized Software Features: $250+
Annual Renewal Discounts: 15%
Consulting: Hands-on support $70+/hour
WHAT WE STAND FOR
• Good School Culture
• Communication
• Community
• Love of Reading
• Empathy
• Inititative
• Conquering Fears
• Failure-safe Environment
• Team Spirit
• Connection
• Collaboration
• Participation
• Good School Culture • Communication • Community • Love of Reading • Empathy • Inititative • Conquering Fears • Failure-safe Environment • Team Spirit • Connection • Collaboration • Participation
The Books…
The books nominated for the Silver Birch Fiction Award® are designed for young readers.
From fantastical, fun titles to serious, life-learning tales, the 10 nominated titles have been our go to list of books used specifically for Battle of the Books because of variety of topics and stories for readers to enjoy.
2026 Silver Birch Nominees - October 15th
⋆
2026 Silver Birch Nominees - October 15th ⋆
The Silver Birch Fiction 2025
-
Asking for a Friend - Ronnie Riley
-
Bertie Stewart Is Perfectly Imperfect - Melanie Mosher
-
Eerie Tables from the School of Screams - Graham Annable
-
Game Face - Shari Green
-
Gamerville - Johnnie Christmas (Author of Swim Team)
-
Iggy Included - Deborah Kerbel
-
The Kodiaks Home Ice Advantage - David A. Robertson
-
The Legendary Mo Sets - A.Y. Chan
-
Mortified - Kristy Jackson & Rhael McGregor
-
Scarewaves - Trevor Henderson
Chapter One:
It all started when I volunteered at a small public school’s reading tournament. What began as a simple act of giving back quickly grew into something bigger than I ever imagined, thanks to an incredible school community. In 2023, I felt a strong pull to bring that magic to more students across Toronto, and now we are opening the Battle of the Books program to schools nationwide.
Reading Rebels, Battle of the Books is designed for students in grades 4–6, right at the stage when many begin to lag in fluency and comprehension. It is also the age when reading can lose its appeal, often seen as “not cool” and overshadowed by screens. The program grew out of what many parents were asking for: a way to help their child rediscover the joy of reading and, in the process, gain confidence.
What makes Battle of the Books so special is that it is inclusive of all reading levels. Every student has a place in the program, and because it is run within each school, it becomes a true community effort. I have seen firsthand how an engaged school can transform a child’s relationship with reading. It is not just about books; it is about building a space where students encourage, support, and push each other to do their best.
My goal is to offer an annual tradition within schools through a ready-to-use program that children truly love. It is fun, meaningful, and self-directed, while helping them grow character, confidence, and curiosity through friendly competition and perspective-expanding stories.
The most inspiring part for me has always been watching how reading transforms students. It is not only about becoming stronger readers; it is about seeing the world differently, stepping into new perspectives, and imagining lives beyond their own. And the confidence they gain by choosing stories that excite them stays with them long after the tournament ends.
At the heart of Battle of the Books, it is never just about winning (though that is always a highlight). It is about growth, learning, teamwork, and joy in reading. That is what makes this program so exciting for me - watching these transformations happen right in front of you. And I cannot wait to bring that experience to even more schools.
Thank you,
Christie
CONNECT…
Build a Sucessful Reading Culture!
Looking to host your own BATTLE OF THE BOOKS Event?
Want to share your Battle of the Books experience or feedback…
Want helpful reading tips to help your child become a LIFE-LONG READER?
Please reach out by filling out the form below…
We respect your privacy. You may opt out at any time!