Teams of lean, mean reading machines from the fourth and sixth grades showed off their comprehension and retention skills during last week’s Battle of the Books competitions.
On April 14, a total of 75 students divided into 15 teams slugged it out in the Sixth Grade Battle of the Books held in the Oxford Middle School Commons.
In front of an audience of 250-300 spectators, the teams answered trivia questions about five books the Oxford Public Library had previously selected for them to read.
Since early February, each team spent countless hours studying the books and answering practice questions.
After 25 questions, the competition was locked in a four-way tie for first place.
Ten tie-breaker questions later, two teams, The Reading Rappers and The Lightning Readers, were left standing and declared co-champions.
The Reading Rappers included Kristen Godwin, Adrianna Harvell, Austin Kelly, Kimi Matsumoto, Keegan Walker and Chelsea Wilkerson.
Competing as The Lightning Readers were Christina Chizmadia, Hannah Ex, Louise Holcomb and Megan Kerin.
Fourth-graders from across the school district got their chance to compete in the Battle of the Books on April 15 at the Oxford High School Performing Arts Center.
Divided into 23 teams, a total of 130 fourth-graders answered 14 questions about the seven books they were given to read.
In the end, Leonard Elementary’s The Booketeers won the competition, making it the school’s very first victory in Battle of the Books.
The Booketeers included Cristiana Bruce, Marisa O’Dea, Nicole Musgrove, Sydney Hayward, Tristen Spencer and Michael Kirby.
Each winning team member in both the fourth and sixth grade competitions receives a medal. The winning fourth-grade team also receives a traveling trophy, which will have their school name engraved on it.
Leonard Elementary will keep the trophy on display until next year’s Battle of the Books.