Young readers battle in regional contest at Sisters Middle School

Sisters Middle School was a bastion of competitive energy last weekend as young readers ranging from grades 3-12 flexed their literary muscles in the annual Battle of the Books regional competition.

Teams from as far away as Burns and Dayville arrived ready to go head-to-head with other foursomes in a competition which required contestants to recall specific details from an array of books read over the previous year. In the 3rd-5th grade category, students had to be familiar with a total of 16 books ranging from "My Life in Dog Years," by Gary Paulsen to "Ella Enchanted," by Gail Carson Levine.

More than 50 teams took part, according to Deb Riehle, one of the event coordinators and a teacher at Sisters Middle School.

It is the third consecutive year that Sisters Middle School has hosted the event, which continues to grow in popularity. The school was packed with hundreds of students, coaches and supporters throughout the day.

Set up like any sports tournament, the day starts with pool play in each division, narrowing down to the "Sweet Sixteen," "Great Eight," "Fantastic Four" and finally the championship final.

"It's pretty intense," said Riehle.

One spectator said, "I play sports, and that last battle was more nerve-wracking than any games I have been in."

The Oregon Association of School Libraries sponsors the Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) with the goal of exposing students to quality literature, representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints, according to the program's website.

Battle of the Books does not take place without the help from dozens of volunteers, which Riehle was quick to point out.

"I can't thank the volunteers enough," she said. "Tiffany Tisdel and I are amazed that we had school staff, librarians, high school and middle school students, as well as parents, all chipping in to make the day run smoothly."

Teams from Silver Rail (Bend) and Lava Ridge (Bend) advanced to the state championships in the third- through fifth-grade division, while Cascade Middle School (Bend) won among middle schools, and Mountain View won the high school category. All of these teams will compete April 7 in Salem.

Sisters had teams in all divisions, but none of them advanced into the championship bracket. The elementary group, made up of fifth-graders, placed 10th among 29 teams in its division.

"It's always fun to see so many kids come from all over the Central Oregon region for this," said Riehle.

Riehle continued, "This is such a great program because it teaches the kids all about protocol and teamwork, while allowing them to immerse themselves in books and stories. We strive to make the day as fun for the kids as we can. There is always a little heartache toward the end, as they have worked so hard."