The Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) is a statewide voluntary reading motivation and comprehension program for students in grades 3-12. It was created to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, and to promote teamwork and good sportsmanship in participating schools.

Each year, a list of 16 books is chosen by a committee of school and public librarians, and students form teams of 4-5 members to read and discuss the books. The teams then compete in a tournament-style competition in which they answer questions about the books in a quiz bowl format. The competition starts at the school level and then progresses to regional and state tournaments. In February, after months of preparation, teams came together at schools across the district and battled it out to determine their school champion.

The questions asked in the competitions cover the content of the books, so it's important for students to read each book carefully and remember important details. The teams are given a set amount of time to answer each question, and the team with the most correct answers at the end of the competition wins. This is no easy task and requires learning tiny details of each book, many of which students have committed to reading more than once!

Now that school champions have been determined, it's time for Regionals! This is when school champions from Region 2 (southwest Oregon) battle it out to determine the regional champion. The top three teams from Regionals will go on to battle at the state level. Regional tournament information is listed below.

Congratulations to all students who participated in OBOB this year, and thank you to all the teachers, library staff, and volunteers who made OBOB possible! You are appreciated! Best of luck to all headed to Regionals!

Regional Tournament information:

• Elementary Regional OBOB Tournament: March 9th @ Thurston High School

• Middle School Regional OBOB Tournament: March 9th @ Siuslaw School District

• High School Regional OBOB Tournament: 1:00 PM, March 16th @ North Eugene High School

For those that want to get a head start, here is a link to all three OBOB book lists for 2025. There is still time for students to vote on the 16th title.

In March we get to celebrate National Reading Month! We kick off the month by celebrating Read Across America! The theme is "Celebrate Diversity". Join the fun as we celebrate reading and diverse books! Read Across America Day is March 2nd. You can read more about it here.

Celebrate all week long with the choice board below that highlights the theme, "Reading is For Everyone" with ebooks for each day that connect to one theme. All the ebooks are available through Capstone for free!

Have a great celebration!

This on-demand Flip event was recorded on February 7th, World Read Aloud Day, and is pretty special and worth your time.

"Mia Armstrong is a SAG-AFTRA actress, model, and voiceover artist who once declared in a Good Morning America interview that Down syndrome is her superpower--and she’s proving that to be true. She is changing the way intellectual disabilities and differences are perceived as she fights for inclusion and against discrimination. "

She is an actress, model, author, illustrator, and a pretty cool human. Check out her interview here.

Get ready to embark on an exhilarating literary journey with March Book Madness 2024! March Book Madness celebrates the power of storytelling and the magic of reading. Teachers, students, and families can explore a diverse array of captivating tales, engaging characters, and themes as they read through various books and vote on their favorite to win it all!

The March Book Madness website already has three different brackets: picture books, middle-grade novels, and YA novels. Simply print them out and get started reading. Voting happens on a weekly basis on their website, and results are posted weekly until the end of March when the winner is chosen. Participants can also use the brackets created by Novel Effect, which has four competing themes to win, plus an option to create your own. Many of the titles can be found in Sora, too.

Whether you're a seasoned bookworm or just beginning your literary adventure, March Book Madness offers something for everyone. So, gather your fellow readers, ignite your passion for literature, and let the madness begin!

Storyvoice shared new live author read-alouds coming up in March. These events are a great way for students to connect to authors and are totally free! Sign up to join here.

Let's celebrate the amazing accomplishments of women in history. Check out the book collections and resources on the choice board.

For those of you digging deep into research, the Library of Congress offers primary resources and tools for classroom use. Their website offers steps to getting started with helpful instructions and video tutorials that make accessing primary documents easily. If you need help, high school teachers and students can contact their librarians for assistance.

Middle and elementary schools beginning research can find all our databases and resources to get you started in this choice board.

Have a good time for a good cause: shop and/or volunteer at the Friends of Eugene Public Library's annual giant book sale!

Save the dates to shop for amazing deals Sat., April 13, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sun., April 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at Lane Events Center (Fairgrounds) Performance Hall. Choose from tens of thousands of titles, most $2 each, with choices for all ages and interests. Proceeds help support Eugene Public Library activities and events, including Summer Reading books and programs for children and teens. Learn more about the Book Sale.

Contact the Friends of the Library to learn about one-time volunteering opportunities for teens and adults: friendseugenelibrary.org/volunteer. For more information about Eugene Public Library, visit in person or online www.eugene-or.gov/library or call 541-682-5450.

Makerspaces are an awesome way to promote critical thinking and collaboration, as well as incorporate engineering and design. A makerspace can be as simple as an origami craft or as techy as programming a mircro:bit into a remote-controlled burglar alarm. 4J has some pretty cool robotics kits available for check out.

Learn about these fun tech tools on our Robotics and Coding website. If you don't know anything about robotics or are a bit intimidated by it all, never fear! The website includes lesson plans and many super helpful tools to get students programming robots in no time! These can be found on the Robotics and Coding website as well. If you're still a little unsure and want a bit more support, contact Justin Huntley and he'll get you up and running!

If you're not quite ready for robotics and coding, but would like to get a makerspace started in your library or classroom, check out the makerspace ideas below to get started with activities that require minimal supplies and start making today!

Students and staff have access to awesome books to celebrate Women's History Month in our district digital collection. K-5 readers can also find books in the choice board below. Find books that feature amazing women in history for all ages in Sora, our district digital collection, and log in with your 4J username and password.

March is here and so is the new choice board! There is plenty to explore!

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Location: 200 North Monroe Street, Eugene, OR, USA
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