(left to right) Team Heritage and Team Genoa
The sixth annual Central Ohio 8th Grade Battle of the Books Competition, hosted by Heritage Middle School, took place at Westerville North High School on March 24. Each of Westerville’s four middle schools competed, along with other Central Ohio teams from Whitehall, Olentangy, Gahanna, Teays Valley, and Delaware. Teams buzzed in with correct answers about titles from the 18-book list in a Jeopardy-style contest.
The purpose of the competition was to celebrate readers and the joy of reading. Westerville readers earned high honors with Heritage Middle School winning first place (coaches Kris Konik and Debbie Pellington), followed by Genoa in second place (coach Deanna McDaniel. Blendon placed fourth (coaches Keona Walker and Mark Buxton), and Walnut Springs followed closely behind the other three middle schools (coached by Jean Trimble and Julie Doel). All competitors enjoyed a pizza party and book discussions following the award ceremony.