Battle of the Books Champ Crowned

Published May 24, 2012

Page Middle School won the championship round of the 2012 WCS Middle School Battle of the Books May 8 to earn the title of 2012 Battle of the Books Champion.

Page Middle had played in the championship round in 2010, placing second to Brentwood Middle School, and was one correct answer short of the 2011 playoff for the championship round, so this year’s victory came as a welcome reward for the hard work the team put into preparing for the battle.

Members of the team are Neal Aites, Natalia Capella, Taylor Tucker, Natalie Smith, Alana Pearce and Faith Griffin. They were coached by Julie Caudle, Page Middle School librarian.

“We enjoyed practicing but really enjoyed the competition," said Natalie Capella. "It was interesting to see how different teams interpreted different questions. We felt very well prepared.”

Two of the teams’ favorite books were Between Shades of Gray by local author Ruta Sepetys and Leviathan by Scott Westerfield.

“I liked Between Shades of Gray because even though it’s fiction, the events really happened," said Alana Pearce. "It is the story of Lina, a 15-year-old Lithuanian who is deported to Siberia by Stalin during World War II, and the things she and her family endured."

Neal Aites said his favorite was Leviathan because it seemed futuristic but was really set during World War I. “It combined elements of fantasy, such as the Darwinist creatures and Clanker machines, with the actual events of the time period.”