If your team is gearing up for our “Not So Heated Rivalries” showdown and wondering how to prepare, we’ve got you covered.

Getting your team ready for our “Not So Heated Rivalries” program but not sure where to start? Use this playbook to prepare for a fun day that will allow you to make new friends, learn about some new reads, and win some fun prizes. Should you have any questions about this program after reviewing the playbook, feel free to reach out to Jess Schauble at jschauble@cmlibrary.org.

Review Your Game Footage

Take some time to review the information below on how the competition will be set up.

• Book Club Team Captains will receive an email that confirms the book they will be representing at Not So Heated Rivalries. If you’re a captain, be sure to tell your teammates what book you will be using because only the captain will receive this information. Should you run into any questions or not receive the email, reach out to Jess Schauble at jschauble@cmlibrary.org
• Get together with your team to come up with talking points about your book. The competition will be set up bracket style so you will go head-to-head against one other book club. The winner will move on to the next round until we crown a champion. You will have 30 seconds in each round to share about your book, so you will want to come up with different ways to share about your book and why it is the best.
• Everyone on your team can participate! You don’t have to have just one person as the designated speaker; find out before the program who would like to be put into the game.
• The winner of each round will be determined by a “fan vote”. Everyone will have a chance to vote after each round to determine who the winner is. Don’t worry if you get knocked out of the competition early, you will still be able to participate by voting for your favorite from round to round.

Crack Open Your Play Book

Now that you understand the rules, get ready to build your strategy with your team.

Four Corners

Have four solid points about your book that you feel like you can quickly expand and elaborate on. Depending on if you go first or second in your round, you might need to think on your feet to figure out how to best connect your audience with your book. Think about if you were trying to get a friend to read your book, what would be the four things you would tell them to get them to add the book to their TBR list.

Backdoor Cut

Don’t be afraid to surprise your competition by changing up what you share about your book from round to round. If in round one you share about an emotional scene with your favorite character that tugs at the heartstrings, share about a chapter that made you laugh out loud in the next round. This will keep your competition on their toes and allow you to have more opportunities for your book to connect with the audience.

Pick and Roll

You don’t have to do it alone! Work with a teammate to share about your book but just like a good pick and roll needs practice and good timing, work together to figure out who is sharing what and when to avoid any confusion.

Pack Line Defense

If all else fails, go with what you know and love about your book. We all connect to stories in unique ways and sharing those connections out with people is a good way for people to be able to connect and relate with your book.

Coach’s Pregame Speech

Remember, this day is about having fun! Use these tips above to help you prepare but don’t be afraid to get creative with how you want to share about your book. If you have any questions about if something is allowed or need more clarification, reach out to Jess Schauble at jschauble@cmlibrary.org