Event series hosted 250 students from 38 schools across Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY — And that’s a wrap! Elementary and junior high students throughout Santa Barbara County competed in a battle of literary wit at the Santa Barbara County Education Office’s 23rd annual Battle of the Books series. Students across the county prepare year-round for the event by reading, and often re-reading, books from a designated list before tackling friendly “battles” against other teams to test their knowledge through trivia questions on plot, characters, and theme.

This year, more than 250 fourth- to eighth-grade students participated in the three unique events, which included two elementary in-person Battles and a junior high school individual virtual Battle. By popular demand, SBCEO also hosted a Battle in Santa Maria for the first time this year, bringing this beloved event to even more students in northern Santa Barbara County.

Pictured are elementary students Arrow M. of Ballard and Kevin M. of Fairlawn of team “Book Badges” which took first place at the Santa Maria-based Battle of the Books held on April 16. Photo Courtesy of the SB County Office of Education

At the elementary level, students are placed on teams with their peers from various schools across the county. Each team comes up with their own name, which they proudly display on their literary “shield” throughout the event. This year, teams were quizzed on 28 different titles during three nail-biting rounds, ending with the final “Battle Royale” showcasing the two top teams.

The winners of the Santa Maria-based elementary Battle hosted on April 16 are:

  • 1st place: “Book Badges” with students representing:
    • Ballard (Ballard School District)
    • Fairlawn (Santa Maria-Bonita School District)
    • Miller (Santa Maria-Bonita School District)
    • Solvang (Solvang School District)
    • Tunnell (Santa Maria-Bonita School District)
  • 2nd place: “MasterMinds Chicken” with students representing:
    • Buena Vista (Lompoc Unified School District)
    • Fairlawn (Santa Maria-Bonita School District)
    • Jiménez (Santa Maria-Bonita School District)
    • Solvang (Solvang School District)
    • Tunnell (Santa Maria-Bonita School District)

The winners of the Santa Barbara-based elementary Battle, hosted on April 25 are:

  • 1st place: “The One and Only Team 22” representing:
    • Monte Vista (Hope School District)
    • La Patera (Goleta Union School District)
    • Peabody Charter (Santa Barbara Unified School District)
    • Foothill (Goleta Union School District)
    • Adams (Santa Barbara Unified School District)
    • Santa Ynez Valley Charter (College Elementary School District)
  • 2nd place: “Significant Events in the Life of Team 10”
    • La Patera (Goleta Union School District)
    • Foothill (Goleta Union School District)
    • Adams (Santa Barbara Unified School District)
    • Ellwood (Goleta Union School District)
    • El Camino (Goleta Union School District)

At the junior high level, congratulations to Vandenberg Middle School (Lompoc Unified School District), which had the top 11 scorers at the junior high Battle hosted online on April 10.

At the elementary Battle in Santa Barbara on Thursday, April 25, students were discussing how excited they are for next year’s Battle. 

“This was so fun, and even if you didn’t win, you get to be on a team with other people who love books. I’m definitely doing this again next year,” said Isla Vista Elementary School Megan Molina, a fourth-grader at Isla Vista Elementary School who competed for the first time this year. Her team was “A Significant Event in the Life of Team 11.” 

Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido shared her heartfelt congratulations with the winning teams and all participants

“It’s incredible to see the enthusiasm and commitment to reading demonstrated by all the students at this year’s Battle of the Books,” she said. “The level of preparation, dedication, and teamwork at each event is impressive and inspiring. As educators, we know that great readers become lifelong learners, so it’s wonderful to see our students achieve and excel through experiences like this one.”

The Santa Barbara County Education Office will also host a Spanish-language version of the Battle of the Books, Batalla de los Libros. The event invites Dual Language Immersion students from across Santa Barbara County to gather virtually on Tuesday, May 21, and compete in Spanish on a list of Spanish-language books they read throughout the year.

The reading lists for next year’s elementary and junior high Battles are scheduled to be released on May 24 at:sbceo.org/battle.

Feature Image:  Pictured are elementary grade students from team “The One and Only Team 22,” winners of the Santa Barbara-based Battle of the Books held on April 25. The team included students Lily M. of Monte Vista; Margot B. of La Patera; Nico P. of Peabody; Keira D. of Foothill; Carlo V. of Adams; and Atalie M. of Santa Ynez Charter. Photo Courtesy of the SB County Office of Education