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, some 250 students in grades four to eight participated in the three 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 the event to even more students in northern Santa Barbara County.

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 rounds, ending with the final Battle Royale showcasing the two top teams.

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

• 1st place team: “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 team: “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, 2024 are:

• First place team: “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)

• Second place went to team “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, Vandenberg Middle School (Lompoc Unified School District), had the top 11 scorers at the junior high battle hosted online on April 10.

At the elementary battle in Santa Barbara on 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 Megan Molina, an Isla Vista Elementary School fourth-grader, who competed for the first time this year.

Molina’s team was “A Significant Event in the Life of Team 11.” 

“It’s incredible to see the enthusiasm and commitment to reading demonstrated by all the students at this year’s Battle of the Books,” said Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County superintendent of schools. “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 the 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 to be released May 24 at sbceo.org/battle.