In the 1930′s Battle of the Books was a Chicago radio program. Today it is a reading incentive program in elementary, middle and high schools across the country. All of the questions in the competition begin with the words “In which book” and the correct answer is always the title and author of the book. This program works at the individual school level as well as at the interscholastic and district wide levels. Classroom teachers, reading specialists and library media specialists spend many hours choosing books and writing questions for each year’s battles. We are a team of library media specialists with many years experience in running district wide battles. We have chosen the books and written the questions for you.

The award is designed for students in grades 3-5 who are ready for longer titles than found on the Monarch list, but not quite ready for the sophistication of some of the Rebecca Caudill titles. Named in honor of Big Bluestem which is the state prairie grass, the award may include both timeless classics and current titles, as well as books that have appeared on Monarch and Rebecca Caudill lists.