Read(y) for Battle: Reading Competition Returns

It’s classroom against classroom and school against school in the fourth annual Battle of the Books.

On Saturday, March 28, teams will compete in a quiz bowl style game, working with teammates to answer questions about 10 books they read.

Pinewood Puetz team, from left, Jacob Bennett, Jackson Graham, Nate Earl, Hallie Davis, Angie Menta, Fatimah Chong and Sydney Choate won the 2019 Battle of the Books at the Elkhart Public Library Saturday, March 23, 2019.

Fifth and sixth graders may form a team of five with their teacher or school librarian and will have 10 weeks to read 10 books, according to children’s librarian Allison McLean. Teams may have up to five alternates.

“They don’t have to read all of the books, they can divide them up how they would like,” she said.

McLean said that the competition is aimed at engaging children to read for fun and rewarding them for reading.

“It’s really awesome because fifth and sixth grade, kids lose the will to read for fun and this is a great way to keep them engaged in it,” she said.

“For kids that continue to read for fun this a great way for them to get recognition, children in sports are often get recognition, this is a chance for readers to get in the spotlight.”