News Release

April 5, 2007

Students to do battle on April 26

Nearly 200 students in grades 4 to 6 from 40 public schools will do battle starting at 9 a.m. on April 26 at the sixth annual Battle of the Books at the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) auditorium.

“More than just another competition, Battle of the Books is a great reading incentive program,” explained County Superintendent Bill Cirone, whose office coordinates the event.

“Each participating student must read 30 books from a pre-selected list,” he explained.

Two teams composed of six students apiece compete against each other by answering 20 comprehension questions based on those books.

The students must agree upon and offer their answers as a group, which emphasizes teamwork rather than individual ability.

“The event received such enthusiastic responses in the last five years that this year, again, the schools were clamoring for spaces, and it filled very quickly,” explained Steve Keithley, coordinator of instructional media services, the SBCEO department that conducts the Battle.

“Forty county public schools, ranging from Santa Maria to Carpinteria, will each send a team of approximately five students, grades 4-6,” he said.

“Once here, the teams will be re-blended so that no one school competes against another.”

Regardless of who wins the final Battle, no one goes away empty-handed. Keithley and his staff will be awarding books and have created original certificates and t-shirts as prizes.

Further information is available from Steve Keithley at 964-4711, ext 5222.