Reading the rewards: District students battle over book knowledge

Published 3:33 pm Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The “Champion$” team from North Bend Elementary School took home the gold from the district’s schoolwide Battle of the Books, April 24. It’s the second year in a row that a North Bend Elementary team has won.

The competition was open to all Snoqualmie Valley elementary students in third to fifth grade.

The required reading included 12 books chosen by school librarians Amy Bonner and Nancy Huestis. Teams formed in all schools and competed earlier this year for the top ranking. The winning teams from each elementary school continued to the championship round, to answer 40 literary questions, for the district champinship title.

“We have parents come back years after the fact saying this was a turning point for their kids,” said Bonner, shuffling notecards during a break in the competition. “They’re really getting into books, reading and being motivated on a different level.”

Opstad Elementary School librarians Nancy Huestis and Amy Bonner moderated the competition Friday.

This is Bonner’s sixth Battle, and she said it adds something unique to the typically isolated task of reading: Competitive spirit.

“Normally, reading isn’t competitive at all,” she continued, “but (the kids) read and reread hundreds and hundreds of (texts).”

One of these kids is Tate Jones, a member of the Snoqualmie Elementary “Book Hawks.” Besides practicing Taekwondo and playing baseball and soccer, Tate said he loves to read books about mysteries and adventures.

“I come home and I eat dinner and then I go upstairs and I read,” Tate explained. “I don’t really watch T.V.”

Opstad students silently cheer for their team after a round of questions.

Tate’s mom, Kim, was one of the many faces in the crowd, quietly cheering on the “Book Hawks.”

“Our team is actually a book club we formed outside of school and so they’re all familiar with each other and are boys who like to read,” she said.

The four competing teams consisted of:

North Bend Elementary School’s “Champion$” – Samuel Chen (captain), Calvin Cole, Mackenzie Knight, Nadia Schlicher and Sasha Vraspir;

Fall City Elementary School’s “Book Beaters” – Lily Barber (captain), Claire Bodine, Hannah Nieman, Ainsley Russel and Grace Turley;

Opstad Elementary  School’s “Face the Wind” – Emily LaBarge (captain), Tate Baker, Kaitlyn Devore, Tess Huestis and Sydney Sprouse; and

Snoqualmie Elementary School’s “Book Hawks”: Riley Bates, (captain), Rory Bates, Christian Brenne, Jake Hawkins and Tate Jones.

Opstad Elementary team, ‘Face the Wind’ brainstorms their answers to a tricky question.