About the Reading Link Challenge
Children's Librarians from Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam Public Library branches work with School Librarians to get Grade 4 and 5 students to participate in the program. Interested students form teams of 6 or 7 players, and each team is responsible for gaining thorough knowledge of 6 books. Students get their books in December and read until February, when all the teams within each school challenge each other to get a winning team. Then, winning teams from each school come to their branch libraries to determine an inter-school winner. The winning team then goes to the Grand District Final. The winning team also receives The Reading Link Trophy, with their school name engraved on it, which the team keeps on display at their school for one year. This year's teams are from Pinetree Way, Panorama Heights, Rochester, Mundy Road, Parkland and Queen of All Saints Elementary Schools.
History
This Battle of the Books Program started in 1993 at Kalamazoo Public Library. It was used to encourage children in grades 4 and 5 to have fun and enjoy the spirit of reading. In 1996, a similar pilot project was launched at Seattle Public Library, and in 2002, the Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam Public Libraries joined the Challenge.
Reading Link Challenge titles for 2010:
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Klutzhood by Chris McMahen
The kids at Arlo's new school are hockey crazy and Arlo can't skate. So he joins a group of loveable misfits called the Dumpster Dudes as they unleash mayhem on the school. |
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Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka
Recently arrived in Seattle from China, musically untalented Yingtao is faced with giving a violin performance to attract new students for his father when he would rather be working on friendships and playing baseball. |
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Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
When Michael is swept off his family's yacht, he washes up on a desert island, where he struggles to survive--until he finds he is not alone |
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Skateway to Freedom by Ann Alma
As East Germany collapses in 1989, talented figure skater Josie and her family make a dangerous escape to Calgary, Canada, where they must adjust to a new life in a very different world. |
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Year of the Rat by Grace Lin
In the Chinese Year of the Rat, a young Taiwanese American girl faces many challenges: her best friend moves to California and a new boy comes to her school. She must find the courage to forge ahead with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and learn to find the beauty in change. |
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Archer's Quest by Linda Sue Park
Twelve-year-old Kevin Kim helps Chu-mong, a legendary king of ancient Korea, return to his own time. |
Reading Link timeline:
There will be four rounds of competition. The first two rounds will produce two library champions, one from City Centre branch and one from Poirier branch. In the third round, the library champions will face the winners from Terry Fox in Port Coqitlam, and medals will be awarded. The fourth round will be a video conference challenge against Seattle's winning team.
Dates:
On Thursday, March 18th at 1:15 pm, In-Library rounds will be held at Poirier and City Centre libraries.
Queen of All Saints, Rochester, Mundy Road and Parkland Elementary Schools will compete at Poirier branch, and Pinetree and Panorama Elementary will compete at City Centre branch.
The Grand Challenge between the two winning Coquitlam schools and the two winning Port Coqitlam schools will take place at The Outlet at Leigh Square on Thursday, April 8th at 7:00 pm
For more information, please contact Deborah Duncan at 604-937-4142.
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