Battle of the Books is back and better than ever! Introducing the return of Battle of the Books program for kids entering grades 6-9 and also the all-new Teen Battle of the Books for grades 9-12. The teen program will meet at 3 p.m. and the middle school program at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning May 31.

Tweens and now teens are invited to join the library’s teams of literary experts in a summer-long program culminating in competitions on August 19 for teens and September 17 for middle-schoolers. They’ll have the chance to read a variety of captivating titles—from sci-fi to graphic novels to realistic fiction—and train hard with mini-battles against competing libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System before the final face-offs, during which they’ll answer challenging questions on the books they've been reading all summer.

Now in its 12^th year, the original Battle of the Books for tweens has grown to include 25 libraries. Due to the popularity of the program, the libraries have introduced a 10-team teen program just this year! Those entering grade 9 will be allowed to choose which team they would like to be on—or they can join both if they’re feeling ambitious.