Book battle has no losers
The Alley Cats from Ramsey Elementary won the Battle of the Books March 21 at Atlas Elementary. From left, Alley Cat competitor Meeghan Wallace, Ramsey Librarian and Battle of the Books coach Marty McCormick, and competitors Theo Morrow and Jacob Williams pose to celebrate their win.
Photo courtesy of Ramsey Magnet School of Science
Teams from Sorenson, Atlas and Ramsey elementary schools compete in Idaho Battle of the Books on Tuesday at Atlas Elementary School.
Champion teams from Coeur d’Alene School District elementary schools battled each other in the first Elementary Idaho Battle of the Books tournament Tuesday.
IBOB is a reading sport where students in elementary grades 4-5 form teams of 3-5 and read 16 books curated by a collaboration of librarians across the state.
Students began reading books in October and through the month of February, they participated in mock battles in order to prepare for their school’s actual battles.
The teams, The Four Hummingbirds, fifth graders from Atlas Elementary; The Alley Cats, fourth graders from Ramsey Elementary; and The Fierce Foursome, fifth graders from Sorensen Elementary competed in the tournament. The winning team and district champions for 2023 were the Alley Cats from Ramsey Elementary.
“The mission of the program is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, share the love of reading with students who have not yet discovered that for themselves, broaden reading interests, increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students,” IBOB said on its website, idahobattleofthebooks.org.
One of the best things about the program is that students and their parents choose which of the books on the list is just right for them to read. Each team member reads 3-5 of the titles.
The students and the program were supported by prize donations from local businesses: The Well Read Moose; 32 Below Frozen Yogurt and More; FigPickles Toy Emporium; Mrs. Honeypeeps Sweet Shop; Papa Murphy’s Hayden; and Birdie’s Pie Shop.
