In a page-turner of a competition, Aiken County Public Schools' elementary school students vied Tuesday for county champion at the Battle of the Books.
More than 60 students from 11 schools participated in the third-annual contest at Aiken Church of Christ. The Battle of the Books promotes reading and literacy as a fun activity while challenging students with sometimes tough questions about the books they read.
“It's a wonderful celebration of reading,” said Melanie Starks, the media specialist at East Aiken School of the Arts. “I have one team here today with five students, but I had 13 teams that competed at our school.”
Media specialists across the county chose 10 books from the 20 nominated for the South Carolina 2018-19 Children's Book Award at the children's and junior's levels, and students got busy reading.
On Tuesday, the winning team from each participating school huddled together to answer detailed questions about the books. They earned points for knowing the correct book and an extra point for naming the author.
The Aiken Elementary team, made up of all girls wearing matching neon green T-shirts, took home the trophy for their first-place finish. The school is the three-time reigning champion. The East Aiken School of the Arts team, made up of all boys in red T-shirts, placed second.
Participating elementary schools were East Aiken School of the Arts, Aiken Elementary, J.D. Lever Elementary, Chukker Creek Elementary, North Augusta Elementary, Mossy Creek Elementary, Redcliffe Elementary, Oakwood-Windsor Elementary, Belvedere Elementary, Clearwater Elementary and Jefferson Elementary.
Read the full Aiken Standard article HERE.