Battle of the Books
This is an optional program for our upper elementary students. Students form a team of one to three people and then as a team, they read the books that are on the Battle of the Books list. In late spring, the grade level Book Battles take place. This involves a Jeopardy-style game with the categories of: plot, genre, tricky, character and setting. This friendly competition encourages students to explore books they might not otherwise read and builds community around shared reading experiences. The books for The Battle of the Books are available in the MCS library, on Sora, and through The Norwich Public Library.
4th & 5th Grade books
2026-2027
By Rebecca Stead
All his life, Nathan has been keeping a secret: he and his parents are aliens on Earth, taking part in an experiment that now seems to be going very wrong. Other children who are members of the experiment keep going missing, and soon Nathan and his family find themselves being called back to the mother ship. However, Nathan is starting to suspect that there is more going on about the experiment than is being said, and is beginning to question what is and is not true.
By Julio Anta
An honest take on seeking acceptance and striving to fit in.
Graphic fiction
Maggie Fishbone is not expecting much when she’s sent to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways, and Wayward Girls—the last resort after causing a ruckus at the orphanage where she was living. Except . . . the Institute isn’t some dreadful, dreary place like she thought.
by Dan Gemeinhart
Oscar is the youngest resident of Sunny Days retirement home by more than a half-century-and he wouldn't have it any other way. When his grandpa gets an eviction notice, Oscar will do anything to save their home - but he's not expecting "anything" to include theft, trespassing, gambling, a broken nose, grand theft auto, a federal prison, and a police chase!
Adventure
Familiar rhythms rule the contained-but-contented lives of Han Yu and Luli. But when plague strikes Chang’An and financial crisis threatens Luli’s family, Han Yu and Luli must each venture out into the larger world—and into danger-filled adventure—to save what they love most. Filled with wondrous caves and conniving thieves, desert storms and magical lakes, Karina Yan Glaser’s epic and rewarding novel is a testament to the bravery required to face the unknown and the power of art to connect us through the ages.
Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his becoming: the glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI, he was designed to fit into the pocket of a soldier’s jacket, eyes sewn a bit higher than normal so that he always gazed upward. That way, glancing at his pocket, a soldier would see an endearing token of love from someone back home, and, hopefully, a good luck charm.
Clare is the undead fox of Deadwood Forest. Here, leaves grow in a perpetual state of fall: not quite dead, but not quite alive—just like Clare. Long ago, he was struck by a car, and, hovering between life and death, he was given the choice to either cross into the Afterlife or become an Usher of wandering souls. Clare chose the latter: a solitary life of guiding souls to their final resting place.
by Hope Larson
Verity "Very" Nelson is the very best at practically everything - except math. Even a remedial class can't seem to get her brain on board! When she's finally diagnosed with dyscalculia, it means she help she needs - and better grades. But when a gossipy classmate spills her secret, will Very lose her perfect image? Or will it lead to yet another challenge for Very to take the lead on?
Graphic, realistic
By Steve Sheinkin
A fun, high-stakes true crime story story set in the Wild West, featuring spot art and comics throughout.
By Adrianna Cuevas
All Pineda Matlage wants is to get through the school year and maybe pull an epic prank or two with his friends Junior, Ernesto, and Patsy. But class is disrupted when a slew of American soldiers descends upon their rural Texan town of Soledad. They’ll be carrying out a training exercise and taking over everything, from Pineda’s school to the local government.
By Maria Dolores Aquila
When injustice grows, resistance blooms.
Twelve-year-old Roberto Alvarez is the youngest of his siblings, born on United States soil. He’s el futuro, their dream for a life away from the fire of the Mexican Revolution.
Bt Bibi Dumon Tak
Full of humor and fun for animal-lovers young and old!
"Hello, I'm the earthworm, and today I'm giving my talk about the anaconda."
6th Grade Books
2026-2027
A couple of hundred years ago, on a quiet Indonesian island, a volcano called Tambora erupted with a force and violence that changed history.
By Tiffany Jackson
A perfect beach read for lovers of suspense.
Mystery
By Renee Watson
A heartfelt portrait of the complexities of grief and the indomitable human spirit.
Verse fiction
By Joslin Brorsen
A strong balance of pulse-pounding perils and emotional depth.
Adventure
By Trung Le Nguyen
Tender, sweetly romantic, and enchanting; an encouraging coming-of-age story.
Graphic Fiction
By Lily Berlin Dodd
Aerimanders are extinct. Or so the government would have you think. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the destruction of these dangerous, dragon-like creatures whose deadly flame could level entire cities and upend world orders.
By Stacey Lee
A suspenseful and evocative gothic mystery.
Histrical mystery
By Scott Westerfeld
Some heavy-handedness, but the awesome ending thrills with potential.
Science Fiction
By Allan Wolf
Home to catfish and crawdads, shrimp and spoonbills, even a gator or two, Lake Peigneur—pronounced “your pain,” only backward—bustles also with human life. Each day, the bean-shaped freshwater lake and its shores hum with folks going about their work: a devoted gardener’s apprentice and his dogs, fishermen, oilmen drilling at Well P-20, and the fifty-one miners employed by the Diamond Crystal Salt Mines.
By Vicky Grant
Manya's parents own a joke shop, but she wants nothing to do with pranks - she's strictly into science. But when different products start harming the customers including a fatal whoopee cushion incident! - it's up to Manya to unravel the science behind what's gone wrong, and save her parents from a murder charge!
Mystery