Merced Union High School District

Atwater High became the center of literary excitement and knowledge as the host school for the 16th annual Battle of the Books on Friday. Approximately 120 students and 35 staff members from Merced, Atwater, Livingston and Delhi high schools gathered for this competition that celebrated a shared love for literature. 

 

This event brought together teams from all six MUHSD comprehensive high schools, as well as Delhi High School, to test their knowledge of 20 carefully selected books from our District’s librarians. During the competition, students and staff competed in the same rounds, answering the same questions, before ultimately being ranked in their own respective divisions.

 

When the final scores were announced, El Capitan’s team claimed first place in the student division, while Merced High’s teams closely followed, taking both second and third place. For the staff ranking, Livingston High celebrated the victory, with Buhach Colony staff finishing second, and Golden Valley placing third. 

 

Battle of the Books originated from retired teacher librarian Tony Doyle, who served at both Livingston and El Capitan high schools. His vision has grown into an annual tradition that has brought together readers of all ages from across our entire District. After 16 years, this legacy has continued to inspire students and educators alike to dive deeper into their passion for reading. 

 

The competition’s format put everyone to the test. Simultaneously, in classrooms throughout the Atwater High campus, teams of two to seven students or staff members competed in five rounds of ten questions each. During rounds, student and staff teams sat together and listened to questions read by moderators, who are volunteers from around the community. These questions were designed to challenge the participants’ knowledge of the more specific details of each book – these were concepts such as unique plot points, memorable characters, or distinctive settings. Teams had only 15 seconds to provide the book title for three points, with an additional five seconds to name the author for a bonus point; our players had to recall details from the 20 books they read from the competition’s roster. 

 

In each classroom, teenage readers were head-to-head with their teachers – with a variety of genres, each participant had equal footing with the randomized questions. No points were deducted for incorrect answers, encouraging each team to take some risks and trust their knowledge. 

 

Behind the scenes, our MUHSD librarians worked collaboratively to bring this competition to life. Five librarians, all schools except the host school, each selected four books, all under the following genre guidelines: two young adult fiction titles, one nonfiction work, and one literary classic. This diverse curation ensured that the participants were able to encounter a range of authors and perspectives, introducing them to titles they never would have thought to pick up. The librarians worked meticulously to read each of their book selections, then create detailed questions that challenged the competitors during the event. Meanwhile, the host school’s librarian, Atwater High’s Travis Harding, worked to coordinate the event’s logistics, organize the volunteers, and work as the presenter for the competition. 

 

This year, the book selections meant that the participants needed to be well-versed in everything, spanning from Jane Austen’s classic “Pride and Prejudice” to the more modern graphic novel, “The Second Chance of Darius Logan” by David F. Walker – the list of books had our readers going from timeless romances, to modern young adult adventures, to dystopian allegories, and everything in between. This variety ultimately rewarded the dedicated readers who read over each and every detail in preparation for the competition.

 

Overall, Battle of the Books plays a role as an academic competition that celebrates reading, bringing together students and staff that share a passion for literature. Our staff members got to see the dedication of students to reading, while the students witnessed their educators feel the same intensity and enthusiasm about literature as they did. 

 

As this year’s 16th annual competition came to an end, it marked another successful chapter in such an important tradition for MUHSD. Thanks to the dedication of the district’s teacher librarians, and the enthusiasm of the staff and students across every high school, Battle of the Books will thrive for years to come, continuing to foster that love for literature that is so prevalent in our district. 

 

Claire Cuenca is a senior at Buhach Colony High School and student intern for the MUHSD Communications Department.