In a thrilling showcase of literary knowledge and teamwork, EMS ISD middle and elementary school students recently highlighted their passion for reading and learning in the first district-wide EMS ISD book battles.
Book battle teams of four from each middle school descended on the EMS ISD Administration Building and Discovery Labs Learning Center on May 7, 2024, where they competed against each other on their knowledge of eight different books.
The competition was tight. Wayside Middle School and Highland Middle School went into a single elimination overtime to determine the winner.
“I was nervous during the single elimination round because I was worried we would get a question wrong,” said Madison Morgan, a seventh-grade student at Wayside.
But in the end, it was Wayside that came out victorious, which the team attributed to their confidence in their knowledge of the books. 
“We didn’t really feel nervous during the first and second round, but during the third round, as the competition tightened, we began to get nervous, but we moved forward with confidence,” said Paloma Buck, a sixth-grade Wayside student. “We are all so happy and proud of our team because everyone pulled their own weight.”
While the Highland Middle School team didn’t take home the trophy, they were still proud of their accomplishments.
“It’s fun to come to this building, and have a competition that is like athletics, with adrenaline coursing through your veins even though you’re just competing over books,” said Joshua Brown, a sixth-grade student at Highland.
A similar scene unfolded on May 13 as teams from 18 EMS ISD elementary schools came ready to battle over books.
"It was a final elimination round and the first team to get a question wrong lost,” said Autumn Morrison, a fourth-grade student at Willow Creek Elementary School.
Even with three times the number of teams, it once again came down to a single elimination overtime round between Willow Creek and Northbrook Elementary School.
The Willow Creek team almost said the wrong answer, before Isabelle Winter, a fourth-grade student, convinced the team of the right answer as time wound down, securing the victory.
“We were very happy and kind of shocked,” Morrison said. “But we were also sad for the other team because they were really sad. They tried so hard to win, too.”
Book Battles are not new to EMS ISD.
“Many of our campuses have held their own Book Battles, or similar reading competitions, for years, but this was the first year to host a districtwide competition centered on the love of reading,” said Cindy Tucker, EMS ISD Director of Instructional Technology.
Students formed Book Battle teams earlier in the school year and started working together to read and discuss the books. With ten books on the elementary list this year, and eight books on the middle school list, most teams split up the reading. Many teams even wrote their own questions to quiz each other.
Meeting regularly, they practiced and prepared for their campus level book battles. Each campus held their own campus Book Battle, resulting in a champion team that represented the other students in their school in the district competition.
While the competition is fun, the deeper goal of the unique event is fostering a love of reading in all the students that participate. 
“Reading is just like entering another world,” said Emilia Natale, a Highland sixth-grade student. “It opens windows into another world and it allows you to feel and experience things that you don’t in real life.”
We’re #EMSproud of all the students who competed in the inaugural EMS ISD book battles and offer a special congratulations to the teams from Wayside Middle School and Willow Creek Elementary School.
