WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Nerves taut, attention fixed, everyone waits for the competition to begin. Months of preparation have led to this moment. No athletic skill needed here, though—it’s all about the books.
The School District of Manatee County’s annual Battle of the Books brings together teams of students to prove how well they know the Sunshine State Young Readers Award (SSYRA) titles, a set of 15 books categorized by age group. For the May 2026 competition, Oneco Elementary hosted the elementary and middle schools, while the high school teams battled at Braden River High. The students’ fearless leaders, the media specialists, help them solidify their knowledge with practice questions at weekly book club meetings leading up to the main event.
Lori Pick, District Media Specialist, has coordinated the event for the past four years. She appreciates how the competition celebrates a certain kind of student achievement. “These students may not be athletes, musicians, or performers,” she said, “but here they get a chance to shine as readers.”
Lori explained how a committee of media specialists through the Florida Association for Media Education reads dozens of children’s and young adult books before selecting that year’s SSYRA titles. The final reading lists are divided into grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and the high school division known as Florida Teens Read. There is also a K-2 list, and Lori hopes to expand Battle of the Books to include kindergarten through second-grade students in the future. “The sooner children start to love reading, the more it will benefit them both academically and throughout their lives,” she said.
During the event, each team sits at its own cafeteria table. A large screen in front, with more screens around the room, displays the questions while the students huddle up and debate the answers, flipping through their well-worn books. The team can answer immediately if they know it, but sometimes they talk through every possibility, using all the time on the countdown clock. This year’s competition focused on accuracy instead of speed, which motivated the students to think carefully before submitting their final answer.
The strength of Battle of the Books lies in how it changes a usual solo activity into something collaborative. While some students might approach a reading assignment with one goal—to finish the book as fast as possible and check it off the list—this event, and all the prep leading up to it, encourages students to analyze the stories in a deeper way. They have to pay attention to the smallest details as well as the larger plot points, because those details could end up as a question later. As for the competition itself, the fast-paced format challenges students to think quickly under pressure and work through answers as a team.
With the final scores tallied, Johnson K-8’s team won the middle school division, and Parrish Community won the high school division. The elementary school trophy returned to Willis this year, marking a third straight win for the school.
“Battle of the Books has been such a positive and engaging experience for our students,” said Amy Noaker, the media specialist at Willis. “It not only encourages a love of reading across a wide range of genres, but also builds teamwork, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment. Watching students collaborate, challenge themselves, and take pride in their knowledge of books has been incredibly rewarding. We’re very proud of our team and the hard work they put in this year.”
The students gave their own reasons for joining the competition. One wanted to try a new club, and for her, the reading list solved a familiar problem: although she likes to read, she doesn’t like picking out her own books. Another mentioned that the club was good for making friends, especially because of the prep time spent together.
For some students, the elementary school competition is just the start. This year’s Battle closed a long chapter for Southeast High School senior Katherine, who has competed since her early school years and was recognized during the high school event as she prepared to graduate. Lori hopes Katherine’s experience encourages younger students to stick with Battle of the Books as they move from elementary school through high school.
At the end of the event, each elementary competitor received a book-shaped medal, sponsored by Follett, and the winning schools took home traveling trophies with the school’s name and year engraved. The teams gathered for photos while younger siblings looked on, getting an early glimpse at a club they can someday join.
Watching the teams celebrate afterward is one of Lori’s favorite parts of the event. After months of reading and preparing, it’s rewarding to see students take pride in what they’ve achieved.
“Honestly, the kids’ excitement makes it all worthwhile,” she said.
Students interested in taking part next year can reach out to the media specialist at their school. The next reading list is already available!
Meet the Readers
Harrison | Ballard Elementary
After participating in 2025, Harrison decided to return to Battle of the Books for another round. His favorite title from this year’s list was Always, Clementine, especially the scene where the mouse mastered the game. He felt nervous during the competition but also confident that his team could find the right answers.
Karsyn | Manatee Elementary
Representing her school and spending time reading made the Battle of the Books an easy choice for Karsyn. She especially enjoyed The Mystery of Locked Rooms because she loves mystery stories. The competition helped her build confidence along with reading skills.
Conan | Oneco Elementary
Conan found Battle of the Books appealing simply because he loves to read. His favorite book from the list was Lost Library, which stood out because of its characters and multiple perspectives. As questions appeared on the screen, he kept wondering whether his team would land on the right answer. The best part of the experience? “It’s fun!”
