The 2009 winning Name That Book team, from South Central School.
Submitted by LaPorte County Public Library
Every fall for the past 18 years, sixth graders throughout LaPorte County have been invited to compete in the Name That Book contest, sponsored by LaPorte County Public Library. The contest begins in September when teams of students and their advisors gather at the library to receive the contest’s list of books. Students may or may not be familiar with the titles, which have either won awards or are by award-winning authors. Since the goal of the contest is to remember the most information possible about each novel, the teams divide up the list and begin devouring the stories.
In October, the contest ramps up with a mock competition. Between 10 and 15 teams gather to size up their opponents and take a crack at practice statements. A sample statement during the actual contest might be, “A teenage boy and his mother are closer since he has been rescued and returned home. Name That Book.” (”The River” by Gary Paulsen.) But since many of the students haven’t had time to read all the books, the statements for the practice contest come from well-known children’s books and stories.
Mary Hedge
November rolls around and the teams gather, along with their cheering supporters, in the large meeting room of the Main Library for the final, do-or-die competition. Rounds are played, with the winner of each round competing in the final round. The winning team is the one that has the best score at a certain point in the contest, not necessarily the best time. First-, second- and third-place teams are awarded a trophy for their school and every contestant gets a certificate and prize. The Friends of the Library fund the prizes, as well as refreshments for everyone after the contest.
Librarian Mary Hedge got the idea for Name That Book from a conference she attended in the early 1990s. “The conference,” she said, “featured ideas about encouraging readers in the middle grades to get more involved with reading and the library. One of the workshops was on Name That Book contests.”
The contest is both entertaining and educational. Students discover that reading can be fun and they enjoy the competition. They also increase their reading skills, often learn something about another culture or era, and increase spelling, grammar, and other language arts skills. In the past 18 years, many teachers and schools have returned year after year.
Erin Manering
In 2008 and 2009, students from South Central, who were past competitors, returned as volunteer score keepers, time keepers, attendance counters, and refreshment helpers. They loved the contest, and now they love helping with the contest. Often contestants go on to join the Young Adult Advisory Board at the library or become library volunteers. Erin Manering, who is now an employee of the library, was just such a student. “I had always loved reading and visiting the library,” said Erin. “Participating in Name That Book led me to the YA Advisory Board, which opened up a whole new world for me! I love my job, and I can’t imagine a life without books.”
For more information about the contest, call Mary Hedge at 219-362-6156.
