Students from 12 Catholic schools across Arkansas recently joined together in the St. Joseph Family Activity Center to battle it out with books, that is.
Although the Battle of the Books is nothing new to the students at St. Joseph Elementary School, they opened their competition to other schools this year and the final rounds took place Friday morning.
"I think it went really well all of the teams were excited to be here and the administrators and executive staff that traveled with the kids seemed to be really pleased," Tracy Anderson, program coordinator, said after the event. "And some traveled three hours to be with us and had to leave very early to get here so we're proud of those kudos."
The Battle of the Books competition is open to all fourth- through sixth-grade students and is a year-long process in which students read around 16 books, which have received various literature awards, and then compete by choosing the correct book title to answer questions.
Anderson said some of the required books exceed 300 pages and added it can be quite a challenge for the fourth-grade students to complete the books with higher reading levels.
"Although it can be a challenge, it also pushes them and encourages them and the kids read individually so we're not asking them to do something they wouldn't normally do," Anderson said. "We just encourage them to read and read material they might not normally pick up."
During the break in the competition, Owen Echols, a fourth-grade student at St. Joseph, said his team, the Retro Readers, had only missed five of the questions.
"I read about six to seven books to prepare to help my team and I think the competition is fun because I really like to read, even before the Battle of the Books started," Echols said.
Fourth-grader Mollie Angel and sixth-grader Halley Angel, both St. Joseph students, said they were nervous to be answering questions in front of an audience from so many different schools.
"I think the competition is fun and the questions have been a little hard, but I have known most of the answers," Halley Angel, team captain for the Retro Readers, said.
Anderson said almost 300 Arkansas kids competed in preliminary rounds within their own schools and 22 teams were present Friday.
According to Anderson, all competitors were very enthusiastic about the event and several students who weren't participating came out to show a little support for the schools.
"The spirit of the Battle of the Books competition is really the fellowship and the camaraderie," Anderson said. "The true intent of the program is investing time in these children and giving them the opportunity to advance themselves through literature, meet new friends and see new places."
Although the two St. Joseph teams competing, the Retro Readers and the Rockin' Readers, did their best, Anderson said the competition ended with an "I.C. sweep."
First place, along with individual trophies for each team member and a plaque to hang in the school, went to the Red Reading BOBbers from Immaculate Conception in North Little Rock. The second place winners were the Bombing Booking BOBinators, also from Immaculate Conception in North Little Rock, and third place went to the Reading Raccoons of Immaculate Conception in Fort Smith. The second and third place winners received medallions.
Anderson said the spirit award winners were the students on the Rockin' Readers team from the Immaculate Heart of Mary in North Little Rock, who will receive books for the next school year's competition.
"We also have a master Battle of the Books trophy that will stay at St. Joseph, but we will engrave the name of the winning team on it each year," Anderson said.
As to whether the state-wide Battle of the Books competition will continue, Anderson said based on the gratitude expressed and the compliments she has received, this will definitely be an annual event.
"I personally have benefitted so much from this program by meeting so many wonderful educators across the state and seeing how much they really do care about our children," Anderson said. "And the competition is just icing on the cake, the real gift is to actually get the kids to read."
St. Joseph Elementary students who participated in Friday's state-wide competition include Halley Angel, Devin Henderson, Owen Echols, Mollie Angel and Josh Warren of the Retro Readers; and Sydney Spradlin, Brittany Wiles, Christi Musial, Nicky Bello, Nathan Hambuchen and Anne Henry Maggio of the Rockin' Readers.
(Staff writer Jessica Bauer can be reached by e-mail at jessica.bauer@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
