IT WAS THE LAST QUESTION of the competition. The score was tied 20-20.
The sport? Reading.
Then came the final question. Soon it was up to the team’s only sixth-grader and team captain, Coco Wise. If she got it wrong, the question would go to her best friend, Brooke Lujan, and Wise’s team would lose.
THE TEAM CONFERS WITH EACH OTHER ON THEIR ANSWER DURING THE ST. JOACHIM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL’S BATTLE OF THE BOOKS COMPETITION. THE TEAM, FROM LEFT, INCLUDES WYATT HOPKINS, RYAN SMALL, JACK MORRISEY, JULIA SUSANK AND BROOKE LUJAN. PHOTOS BY STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
“I was really nervous, and it was a lot of pressure, but I was just like, ‘Well, if I didn’t get it, Brooke’s going to get it,’” Wise recalled. “But we would both have won, because we both did amazing.”
St. Joachim Catholic School in Costa Mesa hosted its first-ever Battle of the Books on May 16 in the school gym. Wise’s team ended up winning, 21-20, in the final round. On her team were third-grader Grayson King; fourth-graders Patrick Higgins and Buggy Chilleen; and fifth-graders Oliva Smith and Hadley Haile.
“It felt really good, because win or lose, you should just try to follow your dreams and just try to win,” said King, 9. “But even if you lose, you shouldn’t feel down.”
Battle of the Books is similar to an academic decathlon but is focused on literacy, explained St. Joachim literacy specialist Tamara Copeland. Students in third through sixth grade who were interested in joining were given a list of books to read. Then they had to pass a comprehension test on each one to compete.
Only 11 students at St. Joachim completed the reading list. On the opposing team was third-grader Jack Morrisey; fourth-graders Wyatt Hopkins and Ryan Small; fifth-grader Julia Susank; and Lujan, the sixth-grade team captain.
Copeland said it was impressive to watch the 11 students not only read the assigned books, but continue reading for pleasure their own books, many of them challenging pieces of children’s literature.
MODERATOR AND LITERACY SPECIALIST MS. TAMARA COPELAND, LEFT, AND PRINCIPAL KELLY BOTTO TALK TO THE STUDENTS AT THE CONCLUSION OF ST. JOACHIM CATHOLIC SCHOOL’S BATTLE OF THE BOOKS COMPETITION.
“It’s truly a lot of work,” Copeland noted. “It’s a rigorous program, and all of these students that stayed are motivated and strong readers.” Literacy has been the focus at St. Joachim this year. So, when Copeland brought up the idea for the Battle of the Books, Principal Kelly Botto said yes.
“We wanted to find a way to just foster that love for reading,” Botto said. “Let’s try it. Let’s do it. Anything to get the kids excited about reading.”
The competition gave some students who like to remain in the background a chance to shine while also building school community, collaboration across grade levels and practicing teamwork, Botto said.
“Kids do like to compete,” Botto said, “so let’s do that. Let’s use that, but in a healthy way that helps promote friendly competition — a community — but gives them a little something else to work towards: a goal.”
The competition even pushed the students to read outside of their comfort zone, said Copeland.
Lujan, 12, an avid action and science fiction reader, wasn’t initially excited to read “Everything on a Waffle,” a realistic fiction book. But she ended up liking it.
Hopkins, 10, also found himself liking books he didn’t think he would.
“I’m really more into mystery and action, and that one [‘Rez Dogs’] seemed more outside of what I like to read,” Hopkins said. “But I picked it up, read a few pages and was like, ‘Hey, I kind of like this!’”
Due to the positive student response, the school wants to expand the program by joining a larger Battle of the Books network where St. Joachim students will compete against other schools. Hopkins had some advice for students who want to join next year.
“When you’re up on stage, don’t be nervous,” he said. “It’s a very competitive competition, but win or lose, what matters is that you had fun.”