In the world of literature, there are few competitions that compare to the Battle of the Books. At the middle and elementary schools, Haywood County Schools has been competing in them for many years. According to the North Carolina School Library Media Association (NCSLMA) who sponsors Battle of the Books, the philosophy behind this competition is to “encourage reading by all students”. Students read a variety of literature representing many different kinds of literary styles and viewpoints by renowned authors. At the elementary level, students read 18 books selected by the NCSLMA. On the day of the competition, each team answers detailed questions relating to each book in a quiz bowl type format. Teams consist of no more than 12 team members who have been reading, reviewing, and practicing since the beginning of the school year.

The 6th annual Elementary Battle of the Books (EBOB) competition in Haywood County was held on March 24th at the Haywood County Conference Center in Hazelwood. Teams from all nine elementary schools competed in the day’s competition.  After 36 rounds, Hazelwood Elementary placed first and went on to represent Haywood County at the Regional Competition.

The Regional Elementary Battle of the Books Competition was held in Buncombe County on April 22nd.  Teams from Buncombe County, Cherokee County, Haywood County, Henderson County, and Transylvania County competed in the Region 8 Competition.  Hazelwood Elementary placed first in the inaugural event.