MS Battle of the Books 2026

What does Abuela give Nestor first from the brown paper bag?

• a baseball

• a photograph

• a baseball glove

• a necklace

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

CCSS.RI.1.1

What does Nestor write at the top of his sketchbook page?

• New Haven Checklist

• Places We’ve Lived

• Days in New Haven

• Goodbye Fort Hood

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

CCSS.RL.1.1

Where did Nestor first hear an animal speak?

• At his abuela's house

• At a daycare in Fort Benning

• At his first school in Washington

• In the woods behind his house

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

CCSS.RL.1.1

Why are Nestor and his mom staying with his abuela?

• His mom is sick

• His dad is deployed in Afghanistan

• They moved for a new job

• Their house flooded

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

CCSS.RI.1.1

What animal does Maria Carmen incorrectly guess when Miss Humala describes a ‘scaly anteater’?

• armadillo

• beaver

• porcupine

• sloth

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

CCSS.RL.1.1

What is Maria Carmen’s “real plan” when she brings out the pliers?

• collect plants for a school project

• Find Brandon's lost dog

• Break the traps so no animals get hurt

• Build a shelter in the wood

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

What food does Ms. Cordova make for the kids?

• tamales

• empanadas

• churros

• sopapillas

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RI.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.K.6

What does Nestor say people forget to talk about?

• The celebrations when someone comes home

• The sadness of missing someone

• The beginning of a deployment

• “The middle”—the time between leaving and returning

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.2.6

What does Talib whisper when they see Miss Humala sitting behind her desk?

• “Is she crying?”

• “What’s she saying?”

• “Should we go in?”

• “Let’s get out of here.”

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.2.6

What creature does Abuela compare the witch to?

• la llorona

• a tule vieja

• el cucui

• a banshee

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.K.5