Crandall ISD elementary students compete in 2022 Battle of the Books Championship

Each year, Crandall ISD hosts its Battle of the Books—a literacy competition for students in grades 3-6. Students from each elementary campus gather in teams of six. In the fall, teams receive copies of books to read for the competition.

Students can read all the books themselves or divide them among teammates and become experts for their specific books.

During the spring semester, teams compete in preliminary battles to determine which groups will advance to the finals. There are two divisions: grades 3-4 and grades 5-6. Teams can be a single grade level or a combination of both grades.

“Battle of the Books is a simple and fun way to encourage students to read,” said Marnie Cushing, middle school librarian and Battle of the Books lead. “Students have fun while gaining new knowledge and competing with peers.”

The competition consists of five rounds of five questions each. At the end of the fifth round, the team with the most points wins. In the case of a tie at the end of Round 5, a “sudden death” round of additional questions is asked until one of the tied teams misses a question.

“It builds teamwork,” Cushing said. “Students learn valuable skills such as cooperation, collaboration, and communication. They may make new friendships and build a cohesiveness that can help them become more connected to the Pirate culture.”

More than 202 elementary students competed in this year’s Battle of the Books. The 2022 Championship winners are:

Grades 3-4:

• 1^st place: Martin Elementary
• 2^nd place: Walker Elementary
• 3^rd place: Noble-Reed Elementary

Grades 5-6:

• 1^st place: Walker Elementary
• 2^nd place: Noble-Reed Elementary
• 3^rd place: Wilson Elementary