WHS Battle of the Book is Back in Action

This year’s WHS Battle of the Books team t-shirt

Alina Ramey, Staff Writer to the Powderhorn

Sixteen books, rapid-fire questions, and a ticking clock: all focused on four students. Excitement, stress, and enjoyment surged through the minds of these students as they competed in the Battle of the Books regional competition. These four competitors felt the intense pressure, as they relied on each other to represent Watauga High School with their prior knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Many students have been involved in a Battle of the Books team in middle school, have known someone on the team, or have at least heard the name in passing. But what does Battle of the Books look like at the high school level? 

“Battle of the Books is a competition for elementary, middle, and high schoolers,” said Kane Hall, advisor for the Watauga High School Battle of the Books team. “It is sponsored by the NC School Library Media Association.” 

Battle of the Books competitions and practices have a positive impact on the students on the team as well as for those parents and advisors who make this experience a reality for students. It’s an intellectual outlet and challenge for students who enjoy reading and don’t want to lose the habit during the school year. It is also beneficial for students in finding new authors and books that they are unfamiliar with.

Many students discovered the Battle of the Books organization during their middle school years, such as this year’s co-founder, Ariail Lewis.

“Sydney Moretz and I both did Battle of the Books in middle school and it was really fun so we decided to start the club at Watauga,” said Lewis.

The team did well in the Battle of the Books competition, scoring a 2nd place trophy. However, there were not many teams competing this year, and unfortunately the Watauga team did not get to move onto states. 

“I was proud of our performance even though we did not have that much time to prepare,” said Lewis. 

Everyone, including students and teachers, were proud of how well everyone performed. The team consisted of Riley Olson, Sydney Moretz, Rebecca Billette and Ariail Lewis, all of whom put in a great deal of effort to achieve their success. 

“The girls worked diligently to read and memorize the contents of 16 books and showed out amazingly,” said Dana Lowery, Watauga High School’s librarian. “This is the first year that Watauga has had a Battle of the Books club, and I am so proud of our students.”