Vigo County schools stage Battle of the Books this Friday at Fayette

Special to the Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE April 29, 2008 08:58 pm

— The Vigo County School Corp.’s 6th annual Battle of the Books will be staged on Friday in Fayette Elementary.
Teams of students from elementary schools throughout the corporation have been preparing for this event by reading books.
Sponsored by the corporation library media specialists, each elementary school has formed a team of five students with alternates. The students have been responsible for reading the 20 intermediate titles from the Young Hoosier Book Award list put out by the Association for Indiana Media Educators.
The first-place team will be awarded a trophy to display in their school until the 2009 Battle of the Books. Last year’s winner was Fayette.
Librarians from the Vigo County Public Library as well as corporation staff members and retired educators serve as facilitators for the event. Some are moderators, scorekeepers and timekeepers. The library media specialists wrote the questions for the Battle.
Sugar Grove media specialist Janella Knierim started the Battle of the Books for the Vigo County School Corp. after observing the event staged in neighboring Clay County.
“This program encourages the students to read books from different genres such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry and biography,” stated Knierim. “The students enjoy working in their team and competing with their peers.”
Two middle schools will stage a Battle of the Books competition within their schools this year, Honey Creek and Otter Creek.