The elementary program began 17 years ago with 6 schools participating, and grew to 141 schools participating in 2011.  This year we are expecting 144 elementary schools to compete in the battle, which is an exciting and engaging way to foster good reading habits.

During the school year students read a total of 15 preselected titles which are the current Sunshine State Young Readers titles.  In the spring students are given a written qualifying test and, based on the results, a team of four students comprise the class battle team.  Class teams compete against one another at a local battle held at the school.  The winning team from each school participates in the district battle held at the Tampa Convention Center.  All battles include title and author questions which focus on the plot, characters, and setting of each book.

Executive Summary continued on attachment.