Elementary Schools 'Battle the Books'

’ third annual Battle of the Books took place at  auditorium as one of many spring school events. Parents and classmates cheered on teams from Winchester’s five elementary schools as they answered questions about books on the 2011-12 Reading Rocks list compiled by Winchester elementary school librarians.

For the past few years the librarians have chosen 25 books to be on each year’s Winchester Reading Rocks list, and challenged 4th and 5th graders to read as many of them as possible. Titles are draw drawn from different genres of high-quality new literature. Students who read eight or more are eligible to vote for the book they deem the best on the list and to participate in Battle of the Books.

Librarians noted that with each passing year, the number of students who read all 25 titles goes up. To make the teams for each school, librarians drew names from a hat -- three 4th and three 5th graders. Students answer as a team, and the team with the most correct answers at the end of the evening leaves with the trophy. At next year's Battle of the Books the trophy will once again be up for grabs  -- like the WFEE Trivia Bee.
 
The purpose of the evening is simply to celebrate reading, as well as all the children who committed themselves to read the Winchester Reading Rocks books, and simply to be a fun night for all. Librarians announced the book voted the best by students from this year's list, and talked about the first four books to have made it onto next year's list.
 
Elementary librarians say the event’s emphasis is on teamwork and “camaraderie surrounding the books we have read throughout the year as a community.”  The new Reading Rocks list for 2012-13 is handed out by the last day of school, if students are looking for ideas for summer reading.