The 2023 Battle of the Books Competition for elementary and middle school students was held on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at Living Hope Church with nearly 150 students participating in a battle to win over their opponents by answering questions about the books they read on the official book list provided by the North Carolina School Library Media Association.

Elementary and middle school students were divided into two separate competitions during the all-day tournament. Students participated on a voluntary basis and made a commitment early on to read from the approximately 15 books and to practice and study with other team members at the school level, which was led by school employees, mostly media specialists.

“Everyone who came made this event a success,” said Shea James, middle school organizer. “I would like to especially thank the students who dedicated their time and energy this school year reading 16 books. Everyone had a great time, and we are looking forward to next year.”

Middle school students competed during the first part of the day, resulting in three top teams taking home the honors. The first-place team was William Lenoir Middle School, followed by Granite Falls Middle, and placing third was Gamewell Middle School.

At the Elementary Battle of the Books (EBOB) 10 school teams vied for the winning title at this year’s event. The first-place finish went to Sawmills Elementary, the second-place finisher was Lower Creek Elementary, third place was won by Granite Falls Elementary and Hudson Elementary School received an Honorable Mention.

“Since teams had not competed for three years due to COVID,” said Judy Self, elementary school EBOB organizer, “we had no returning students to lead the way. Plus, there were new coaches at many of the elementary schools, but teams were well prepared and it was a great day of competition.”

Sawmills Elementary School will represent Caldwell County Schools in the Region 7 EBOB competition on April 27, 2023, at New Life Church in Lenoir.

“My favorite part of Battle of the Books is sharing my love of reading with others who also love reading,” said Harper Young, 6th Grader at Granite Falls Middle School. The new reading lists for Battle of the Books will be released this summer by the North Carolina School Library Media Association, so students will get a head start on the next competition.