Homer students competed with others throughout the Kenai Peninsula in the school district’s Battle of the Books. The competitions took place via telephone or videoconference. The winners go on to state competition Feb. 22.

Students in different grade levels compete in four different categories: third and fourth grade, fifth and sixth grade, middle school and high school. Students in the elementary school categories read 15 books, while the middle school and high school categories read 12 books.

Each year in April, a tentative list of titles for each of those grade levels comes out. Interested students read the books and can participate in the February district battle. The first place team for each category will go on to the state competition.

“It’s like a quiz style game show. Each round of battles are 16 questions and every question is, ‘In which book did something happen?’ Kids answer with the title and author of the book,” said district librarian Karla Barkman. “We have our district battles to find out which team goes to the state competition. Every school that has a team can play.”

Results:

High School – Feb. 2 (Nine teams competing district wide): Soldotna High, first;  Susan B. English, second; Kenai Central High/Nikiski High, tied for third; Homer High, fifth.

Middle School – Feb. 8 (11 teams competing district wide): Nikiski Middle, first; Kenai Middle, second; Susan B. English, third; and River City Academy, fourth.

Grades 5/6 – Feb. 9 (21 teams competing district wide); K-Beach, first; Soldotna Connections, second; Homer Connections, third; and West Homer Elementary, fourth.

 Grades 3/4 – Feb. 10 (20 teams competing district wide): Cooper Landing, first; Homer Connections, second; Sterling Elementary, third; West Homer Elementary, fourth.

Anna Frost can be reached at anna.frost@homernews.com.