Since 2008, the Crete Public Library has hosted an annual Battle of the Books program for the local schools. Battle of the Books is a competitive reading program for students in 3rd through 8th grades. Students volunteer to participate in the program with the help of parents, teachers, and school staff. Each team extensively prepares by reading books from a yearly assigned list. In the spring, students gather together to face off in a series of question and answer rounds developed by the Library’s Youth Services staff. The team with the most points at the end of the final round is declared the winner.
Battle of the Books 2025-2026
2025-2026 Crete Public Library’s 3rd-4th Battle List
Julie Abe
Katherine Applegate
Mac Barnett
Cassie Beasley
Kate DiCamillo
Chris Grabenstein
Dan Gutman
Nathan Hale
Jennifer Holm
Aaron Reynolds
Caroline Starr Rose
Renee Watson
2025-2026 Crete Public Library’s 5th-6th Battle List
Jonathan Auxier
Holly Black
Anne Blankman
Roshani Chokshi
Sharon Draper
Nina Hamza
Donna Barba Higuera
Varian Johnson
Jennifer A. Nielsen
Jason Reynolds
George Takei
Padma Venkatraman