Charles William Eliot, an American academic who was selected as Harvard’s president in 1869, helped to transform the provisional college into the preeminent research university it is today. An avid reader and educator, one of Charles William Eliot’s most popular quotes was “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” Using this quote as a backdrop, the 2015 Bladen County Schools Middle School Battle of the Books Competition will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2015 in the auditorium of Bladen Community College. Team registration and pictures start at 8:30 am and the competition begins at 9:00 am.
All five middle schools; Bladenboro Middle, Clarkton School of Discovery, East Arcadia Elementary, Elizabethtown Middle and Tar Heel Middle will be competing in the 19th annual Battle of the Books. Each team is comprised of up to 12 members who have been preparing to compete in a quiz-bowl format throughout the entire school year. These students have been reading books from the state list which is distributed at the beginning of each school year. This year’s titles include; Home of the Brave, Tangerine, The Savage Fortress, The Roar, Maze Runner, Flora and Ulysses, Mockingbird, The House of the Scorpion, 90 Miles to Havana, The Other Half of My Heart, Prisoner B-3087, Road to Tater Hill, The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn, Titanic: Voices from the Disaster, Hero, Good Night Mr. Tom, A Single Shard, Beneath My Mother’s Feet, The Red Pyramid, Bluefish, The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team that Changed a Town, The Notorious Benedict, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, Moon Over Manifest, and One Crazy Summer.
Coordinators for this year’s event are Jason Atkinson, Chief Technology Officer for Bladen County Schools, Stacey Regan-Murphy, and the entire Technology Services staff. Volunteers from several departments within the Bladen County Schools District Office serve in many capacities during this event. The judges for this year’s competition are Media Coordinators, Sharon Anderson of West Bladen High School, Shelia Newkirk of Booker T. Washington School, Megan Kirby of East Bladen High School, and alternate judge Carla Grimes from Technology Services. The Moderator for this event will be Karei Swift of Follett Resources. The Technology Department purchased each middle school a copy of needed books to help prepare for this competition. Each team member will receive a certificate of participation. In addition, the winning school team members will receive individual medallions and the winning school will receive a plaque noting their accomplishment. The 2014 Middle School Battle of the Books winner was Elizabethtown Middle School. This year’s winning team will advance to the regional competition to be held at SandHills Community College in Pinehurst on April 16, 2015.
The purpose of the Battle of the Books program is “to encourage reading by all students at the middle school level. Students, regardless of ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints by prominent authors in the area of young adult literature. The game format creates interest and excitement in reading. Through the fun and excitement of the competition, students improve reading skills, mature in their choices of reading materials, and acquire a broader knowledge base.”
Parents are encouraged to attend this competition.
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