ICSAtlanta Elementary Book Team

What is the ICSAtlanta Elementary Book Team? What is REquired? How Can I Get INvolved?

ICSAtlanta has two Reading Bowl Teams (Book Teams). One is our elementary team (for 4th and 5th graders), and the other is our middle school book team (for 6th through 8th graders). Both teams compete for ICSAtlanta in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl.  **Please note: Books for the elementary team have a reading level of at least mid-4th grade and middle school books have a level of at least 6th grade. Some books explore sensitive topics. Students who participate are required to read all 10 books in order to be selected for our competitive team.

Selection Process:

(1) Book team coaches and administration will review students who express an interest in joining ICSAtlanta's book teams. Students who meet the below requirements will be notified and REQUIRED to read at least the following 4 books from the reading list over the summer. Students may read these books in traditional book form, as an eBook, or as an audiobook. Many families enjoy reading and listening to these books together. Please check your local library system for digital options as these books are often hard to get from the library since students all over the state are reading them. Many others are available as audiobooks for free through your library system or for a fee on Audible.

Students will take a written quiz (not multiple choice) over these books during our first meeting. Those who read all 4 books AND remember specific details of the story will be invited to join us for the rest of the semester. Reading Bowl is not analyzing stories and themes but more about remembering specific details like people, places, and events from the books and answering questions in a quiz bowl format. Details about our first meeting date will be announced in early August.

• Kuyatt, M. E. (2023). Good Different

• Souders, T. (2023) The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle

• Thomas, A. (2023). Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy.

• Warga, J. (2022). A Rover’s Story 

factors considered before student selection:

• Academics (grades, Milestones scores, and/or teacher recommendation)

• Behavior (NO in-school or out of school suspensions 2023-2024)

• Attendance (low rates of absenteeism and tardies)

• Commitment to meet once per week during the 2024-2025 school year

(2) Those selected and notified before the end of the current school year will be tested in early-August on the 4 required summer reading books. Those who meet a minimum score on this test, will be invited to meet once weekly after school to discuss the books, write practice questions, and have practice competitions. **At this point, students selected will be required to pay a club fee of $200 to participate.

(3) In early-December, students will be given a 100-question test over all ten books. Our Reading Bowl coaches will select up to ten students (as determined by book-test scores, behavior, effort in practice sessions, etc.) to represent ICSAtlanta in the Fulton County Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (HRRB). Students selected for the team will receive a book team t-shirt.

If our book teams do well in the Fulton County HRRB, they will participate in further competitions. 

Students can purchase books, check books out from the library, read eBooks, or listen to audiobooks. Check your local library for lots of FREE ebook and audiobook options! Students who do not read the books over the summer will not be invited to participate further. The full list of books can be found at https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/hrrb/booklists/. 

The full annotated book list is below. Please note that students who make the team will be required to read all 10 books by November. Students are encouraged to read as many as possible this summer! 

Annotated list for Elementary School (4th and 5th grade)