For avid readers, curling up with a good book helps to unwind, providing leisure— however, the most ambitious take it a bit further and compete in one of the most thrilling competitions: Battle of the Books. Reading an array of books, Huskies were trained and prepared to march into battle on April 5th and show off their literary prowess.
Battle of the Books has its roots in the 1930s on a Chicago radio program, eventually spreading to school reading incentive programs— encouraging more students to read, with participation as early as middle school.
Tasked with 16 books to read carefully selected by librarians of competing schools, titles such as, Tilly in Technicolor, Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, I Must Betray You, there was collective teamwork at its core, dividing the books read amongst each group from August, to the competition day of April 5th.
Zymal Ahmed, 12th grade, the team captain, has participated in Battle of the Books since 6th grade, this being her sixth consecutive year competing. Regarding her group’s preparation, she states, “We made a document with all the summaries and who was reading what, and, kind of organizing all that information helped us identify our areas of strengths and weaknesses.”
She continues to add on how they also wrote summaries, and quizzed each other with sample questions that focused on identifying quotes for direct or plot-based questions being asked. While reading itself is a very introverted activity, done quietly at one’s own pace, Battle of the Books causes an uproar as teams of three race to vehemently answer questions.
Vanessa Montes, 12th grade, reflects on her involvement in the competition, commenting, “I read the summaries of all the books. And not only the summaries, but who the characters were, the main events that happened, the symbols just in case, and, plot to understand context.”
By splitting summaries, they immerse and familiarize themselves in stories such as Two Can Keep a Secret, Diabolic, Rez Ball, Martian Chronicles, etc. They even took the extra steps on the bus to quiz each other, ready for any specific question thrown at them.
Montes recalls the experience, “You gain good memories and it’s not about winning, it’s about having fun, in my opinion, because reading is supposed to be fun,” to not get caught up in the stress of a competition.
This passion and fervor Huskies had for literature led to North Hollywood High School placing 1st overall amongst various schools within LAUSD, a hard-earned academic victory. Ahmed recounts, “It was good to see that people were interested in the competition and committed to it,” hoping more people participate in Battle of the Books after she graduates, highlighting how it’s expanded her vocabulary and reading comprehension.
The wide scope of novels that span across vast genres, Battle of the Books opens new horizons of uncharted pages that one might not think to usually pick up. Reading itself is an introverted activity, yet Battle of the Books brings students alike together to engage in their love for literature, cementing a passion for books through community.
