- OBOB meetings will take place during lunch and lunch recess, days TBA
Book List
Below is the elementary level OBOB book list for all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders for the 2025-26 OBOB season. Multiple copies of all titles can be found in the Byrom school library and Tualatin public library (availability may vary depending on popularity!):
- Better with Butter by Victoria Piontek – ISBN 9781338662214
- The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau – ISBN 9780375822742 – Please note this is the original novel, not the adapted graphic novel by the same name!
- Elf Dog and Owl Head by M. T. Anderson – ISBN 9781536235166
- Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein – ISBN 9780307931474 — *Please note this is the original novel, not the adapted graphic novel by the same name!
- Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome – ISBN 9780823445820
- Hatchet by Gary Paulsen – ISBN 9781416936473 — *The questions for this specific title will be taken from the original text, not supplemental material. Any American edition of this book will prepare OBOBers for a battle, although page numbers may differ.
- Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lại – ISBN 9780061962790
- Just Like Click by Sandy Grubb – ISBN 9781646034390
- The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass – ISBN 9781250838834
- The Million Dollar Race by Matthew Ross Smith – ISBN 9781534420281
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry – ISBN 9780547577098 — *The questions for this specific title will be taken from the original text, not supplemental material. Any American edition of this book will prepare OBOBers for a battle, although page numbers may differ.
- Odder by Katherine Applegate – ISBN 9781250147424 — *Please note this is the novel, not the author’s picture book by the same name! We are using the hardback edition as the paperback has only been published in the UK.
- The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow by Elaine Dimopoulos – ISBN 9781623545857
- The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir and Amber Padilla – ISBN 9780316459709
- Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter – ISBN 9781338568936
What is OBOB?
The Oregon Battle of the Books, or OBOB, is a free statewide voluntary reading and comprehension program sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries and locally by the Byrom PSO. Students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades are divided into teams and encouraged to read from a list of sixteen books which represent a variety of styles and viewpoints. A “battle” is a scored trivia competition between two teams of 4-6 students each who take turns answering questions from all the OBOB books.
OBOB’s mission is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, expose students to diversity, and to promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students.
How does OBOB work at Byrom?
OBOB at Byrom is a volunteer run extracurricular program that is held once a week during lunch and lunch recess (specific days TBA). Beginning in late October, OBOBers will meet to discuss books, participate in comprehension activities, and practice battles. Beginning in January, the Byrom teams will begin official battles to determine a winning team to represent Byrom Elementary at the OBOB regional tournament. Regional tournaments have historically taken place in early to mid March. The 2023 regional date has not yet been announced.
Weekly Times (kids meet at the Byrom library tables)
- 3rd grade: TBA
- 4th grade: TBA
- 5th grade: TBA
Who runs OBOB at Byrom?
- Lisa Love-Wiese: OBOB chair/parent volunteer (contact via byrom.obob@gmail.com)
- Heather Roberts: Byrom Media Specialist
- You do! We rely on parents and volunteers to run the program and help the students be successful
Book Availability
Thanks to a generous donation from the Tualatin Library Foundation all the Tualatin elementary schools including Byrom will have multiple copies of all the OBOB books in their school libraries. You can also find all of the OBOB books at the Tualatin Public Library (look for the special OBOB section)!