Adolescent readers require support and opportunities that will enable them to grow into confident, independent readers.  For that reason, the Battle of the Books was established with the following purpose in mind . . .

• to encourage adolescents to pursue reading as a pleasurable extracurricular activity and promote it as a life-long pursuit;
• to acquaint adolescent readers with a variety of genres in contemporary young adult literature;
• to encourage book discussions and interactions among adolescent participants on the teams;
• to encourage adolescents of ALL reading abilities to actively participate on a team; and
• to promote literacy throughout Loudoun County Public High Schools and the surrounding community at large.

   "We believe that adolescent readers have a right to...

    access to a wide variety of reading material that

    appeals to their interests; the opportunity to read

    simply for the pleasure of it and to experience the

    joys of reading; and homes, schools, and communities

   that support the needs of adolescent readers."

International Reading Association

Some considerations in selecting books for Battle are…

• Variety of genre (general fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller/suspense, humor, romance, biography, memoir, poetry, etc.)
• Balance of characters (gender, ethnicity, etc.)
• Contemporary (recent publications preferred)
• Committee and student recommendations
• Variety of reading levels
• Appeal to both genders