By Amanda Meloy
Lindbergh Elementary School

On March 5 teams from Gompers, Lake View, Lindbergh, Mendota and Sandburg elementary schools competed in the Battle of the Books at Lakeview Library. Battle of the Books is a fun, friendly activity where teams of fourth and fifth-grade students read books from a specified list and then compete in a trivia competition based on those books. Each grade level has its own reading list, consisting of novels from a wide variety of genres. 

Battle of the Books is coordinated by Northside Elementary School Library Media Technology Specialists Shannon Furman (Lake View), Jody Retzer Crolla (Gompers), Kelly Nieft (Mendota), Ren Schwab (Sandburg) and Mandy Meloy (Lindbergh). 

Teams usually consist of four students. Participants begin reading in November or December. They compete against teams from their own school one to two weeks before the Northside competition at Lakeview Library. The champion teams from each school compete against one another at the Northside competition. One trophy is awarded to the champion of the fourth grade competition, and one trophy is awarded to the champion of the fifth grade competition. The winning teams keep the trophy displayed at their school for the year and then must bring it back to compete for it again the following year. 

The Mendota team is the 2019 Battle of the Books Fourth Grade Northside champion. The Gompers team is the 2019 Battle of the Books Fifth Grade Northside champion.