Let’s battle…with books!

BY CHEYENNE PUETZ

Western Dubuque High School Book Club members are suiting up for battle. Do not worry parents; violence is not a part of this particular battle. Only the books matter in this case. The annual Battle of the Books competition is underway at Western Dubuque and throughout several other schools across the state. According to the school librarian, Mrs. Jessica Bogosian, Battle of the Books, starting on Nov. 1, is a reading competition that takes place across the state. Schools can compete by forming teams of four to six students who read a selection of award-winning books that are considered quality literature for young adults. A committee made up of English teachers and librarians decide which books are to be chosen. The teams split the books up amongst themselves and discuss them together in order to better understand what they are about. On March 15, the teams take a reading comprehension test and gain points for answering questions correctly; the second test is taken soon after and is about knowledge of the authors. The top 16 teams who have earned the most points then go on to the State Battle of the Books in Ames, Iowa to compete for the state championship.

Book Club members all over Iowa are ready to battle, and so are the members at Western Dubuque High School. Reading is important at Western Dubuque, and the Battle of the Books competition is a great activity to be involved in if you love to read. Let’s battle!