Saratoga Students Win Battle of the Books

QUEENSBURY — A celebration of reading took center stage on Mar. 11 as 637 students from 23 local school districts competed in the “Battle of the Books” at SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury.

Students at Dorothy Nolan Elementary in Saratoga Springs won the 5th grade battle; St. Clement’s 4th graders finished second; Ballston Spa Middle schoolers finished third in the 6th grade competition; Lake Avenue Elementary students placed third among all 3rd graders; and Greenfield Elementary 4th graders also won bronze.

The event, coordinated by the WSWHE BOCES School Library Systems, gathered 82 teams of students in grades 3-6, all eager to demonstrate their knowledge of 10 selected books, both fiction and non-fiction. For months, the participants read and studied the titles in preparation for the competition. With 31 questions per round, students tested their memory, teamwork, and love of reading.

The final results were as follows: 

GRADE 3

1st – Johnsburg Central School District

2nd – Big Cross Elementary

3rd – Lake Avenue Elementary

GRADE 4

1st – Hudson Falls Intermediate

2nd – St. Clement’s

3rd – Greenfield Elementary

GRADE 5

1st – Dorothy Nolan Elementary

2nd – Ballard Road Elementary 

3rd – Warrensburg Elementary

GRADE 6

1st – Queensbury Middle 

2nd – Argyle Central School District

3rd – Ballston Spa Middle