VA Peninsula Battle of the Books Grades 4-5

Battle of the Books is a book-based, Jeopardy-style trivia competition played by local and regional school teams. Librarians select 12 great books each for grades 4–5 and ­6–8. Public and private schools and homeschool groups form teams in the fall or winter to practice for competitions; the winners from each region then compete at WRL for the glory of the regional championship trophy.

The participating regions are Williamsburg/James City County, York County, Newport News, Hampton, and Poquoson.

Updated January 8, 2025
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The forgotten girl
Brown, India Hill
Paper Book
"This ghost story gave me chill after chill. It will haunt you." -- R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps "Do you know what it feels like to be forgotten?" On a cold winter night, Iris and her best friend, Daniel, sneak into a clearing in the woods to play in the freshly fallen...
The wild robot
Brown, Peter
Paper Book
A gloriously illustrated story of a robot's adventures in the wild
The Mona Lisa vanishes : a legendary painter, a shocking heist, and the birth of a global celebrity
Day, Nick
Paper Book
A "witty thriller" (The New York Times) for middle-grade readers about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world--and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all. ...
Mixed up
Korman, Gordon
Paper Book
From the author of Restart, the story of two boys who are losing their memories... to each other. Reef and Theo don't know what's happening to them. They'll be going about their days and then suddenly they'll have these strange flashes of memory -- but the memories don't belong to...
Lo & behold
Mass, Wendy
Paper Book
Can a virtual reality headset help change the way twelve-year-old Addie looks at things? Introducing an unforgettable graphic novel about connection, friendship, and the wonder all around us from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Mass and debut illustrator Gabi Mendez.<...
Prairie lotus
Park, Linda Sue
Paper Book
Prairie Lotus is a powerful, touching, multilayered novel about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father's shop, and making at least one friend. Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian...
Framed!
Ponti, James
Paper Book
A budding genius gets recruited by the FBI to find stolen art in this first book in the hilarious middle grade mystery series that has "elements of Alex Rider, James Bond, and Sherlock Holmes" (School Library Journal) from New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award­-winning James Ponti...
Pay attention, Carter Jones
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
Carter Jones is astonished early one morning when he finds a real English butler, bowler hat and all, on the doorstep--one who stays to help the Jones family, which is a little bit broken. In addition to figuring out middle school, Carter has to adjust to the unwelcome...
Always, Clementine
Sorosiak, Carlie
Paper Book
A funny, wise and heartwarming story, with a truly one-of-a-kind hero, from the author of the highly-acclaimed I, Cosmo and My Life as a Cat.
Roll with it
Sumner, Jamie
Paper Book
"A big-hearted story that's as sweet as it is awesome." --R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder "An honest, emotionally rich take on disability, family, and growing up." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) In the tradition of Wonder and Out of My...
The Callers
Thomas, Kiah
Paper Book
'Beautiful, big-hearted and so original -- I fell in love with this book.' - Amie Kaufman, NYT bestselling author of The World Between Blinks CALLERS CAN CONJURE ANYTHING OUT OF THIN AIR. BUT WHAT IF THE THINGS DON'T COME FROM NOTHING? ...
One crazy summer
Williams-Garcia, Rita.
Paper Book
Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. And even though Delphine must look after her sisters during a summer trip to California to visit Cecile. To get them out of her hair,...

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