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Students from four Hazelwood middle schools squared off against fellow students from around the metropolitan area in the fourth annual Area-wide Book Battle at Pattonville Heights Middle School.

The book battle is a trivia-night styled event in which teams of six students answer questions based on a pre-designated list of 20 books. This year’s list included such high-interest books as “Ninth Grade Slays,” by local author Heather Brewer and “The Mysterious Benedict Society” by Trenton Lee Smith. The battle allows students to meet and discuss current books that interest them with peers they might not otherwise get to meet.

There were 34 teams and each team could score as many as 120 points. The Hazelwood West Middle Wildcats tied for eighth place with 103 points while the Hazelwood Central Middle Golden Eagles and Hazelwood Northwest Middle Knights tied for 16^th place with 89 points. The Hazelwood North Middle Panthers placed 18^th with 79 points.

“Although my team from North did not place high in the standings, I was excited to have students who had an opportunity to read and discuss books,” said Hazelwood North Middle librarian Mary Ruebusch. “The majority of my team was sixth graders and most of them were boys. I think that is the one thing about this team that I will remember. I am looking forward to watching them over the next years in middle school.”

“I liked competing; it seemed fun,” said José Saavedra, a sixth grade student at Hazelwood North Middle. “I liked all of the good books we read.”

“Unwind” by Neal Shusterman was a favorite read by many on the Panthers. “It’s suspenseful, scary and it keeps you wanting more,” said Saavedra. “I look for that in a book.”

Classmate Ian Sovar agreed. “There was one part where one dude got unwound and it was real creepy.”

Saavedra said Brewer’s book, “Ninth Grade Slays,” was nearly as good. “You didn’t know what was going to happen next; it was so different.”

Sovar found other book battle features to enjoy. “I liked that so many people came together and read books and studied about them. They actually got into reading.”

Alexis Knighten, another sixth grade student, also liked “Unwind” the best of the books they read, calling it “adventurous.”

“My favorite was actually going to the competition. I thought it was fun and it was good for me. I was excited when I made the team,” she said.

Middle school librarians talked about their students’ abilities and what the students get out of an event like this.

“I was so very pleased with the way my students performed as a team,” said Stephanie Slusher, Hazelwood Central Middle’s librarian. “There was a definite learning curve from Round One to the rest of the competition.”

“Our students benefit so much from recognition for being outstanding readers,” said Stacey McMackin, Hazelwood West Middle’s librarian. “Having book reading become a ‘team’ sport gives it a panache that makes them feel proud. All of our Hazelwood students deserve the chance to be recognized for outstanding academic and literacy work and our Book Battle team members have fun and get rewarded for their achievement through this venue.”

When you look at a big room of kids all reading 20 books it was impressive, regardless of points or how we scored,” said Ruebusch.

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