If different regions have conventions regarding books, it is important to be familiar with them. This would include the local region you compete in as well as the region where the national tournament is held in any given year. Polish is necessary. Books can become symbolic props. The book is the baby being rocked or the gun being shot.
Precision is necessary.
In each of our shows, we have a short section where the books are used in a very unusual way. The books were used as guns. This kind of book work can be extremely effective if perfect. The convention in IT is off stage focus. This is necessary to keep the event in the arena of interpretation.