Sarah Brown
In their first year of participation in Oregon Battle of the Books, Holley students won the regional competition in Woodburn against 49 other schools March 3, and will move on to the state tournament in April.
Christina Saveskie, school district speech and language teacher at Holley Elementary, said she started the OBOB team because her daughter, Olivia Saveskie, and her friends love to read.
“I thought it would be nice to have a team that wasn’t just sports-oriented, and give some students who love reading a way to be part of a team,” Christina Saveskie said.
She found it has been a positive experience.
“I believe that being part of this competition has taught them patience and perseverance,” she said. “It takes a lot to read and re-read books.”
OBOB, as it is known, is a statewide voluntary reading motivation and comprehension program sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries in conjunction with a Library Services and Technology Act grant. Students in third through 12th grades, regardless of ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints.
OBOB’s mission is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and to promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students.
The events are run completely by volunteers through the Oregon Association of School Libraries and funded partially through the Library Services and Technology Act.
The Holley team, named Story Serpents, had to read 16 books over the past five months in preparation for Saturday’s competition, though they split up the workload among themselves. Since only two schools in the Sweet Home area, Holley and Hawthorne, participated for the third- to fifth-grade level, they both automatically qualified for regionals. Hawthorne’s team did not have a name.
Olivia, a third-grader, said she had a few favorite books, including: “Ella Enchanted,” by Gail Carson Levine; “Dash,” by Kirby Larson, “because it has to do with World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese being sent to camps. It is almost like being there”; and “Door by the Staircase,” by Katherine Marsh, “because it has twists and turns, and just when you think Mary is safe, she’s not safe.”
Fourth-grader Lilly Dunn said she also liked “Door by the Staircase” because of its many twists and turns, and Eturnyti Allison, a third-grader, liked it because it’s about a witch and a girl and how they bond.
Third-grader Trent Harvey preferred “EllRay Jakes the Recess King,” by Sally Warner because he thinks it’s the funniest one.
Daisy Lalonde, a fifth-grader, liked “My Life in Dog Years,” by Gary Paulsen.
Several of the books are not books that Daisy would have picked out on her own, said her mother, Reneé Lalonde. She pointed out there’s a big difference between fictional wars, like those written by Rick Riordan, and wars that actually happened.
“At first I was not thrilled that so many of this year’s books revolved around wars, but it opened up lots of discussion where I could teach her our views and bring in other facts,” Reneé said. “We even drove over to Camp Adair to see the remnants of that forgotten camp (referencing the book “Dash”).”
Lalonde said she appreciates the teamwork involved in OBOB.
“A team who will listen to all of their members will have a huge advantage, and sometimes it is the kid who remembers the correct answer at the last second,” she said. “Those kids have to be able to explain themselves to each other, and to the moderator, a skill that is never too young to learn.”
As can be expected, the children were thrilled to win Saturday.
“We were all on the edge of our seats all day,” Trent said. “It’s kind of stressful during the battles.”
Olivia said she was amazed they won.
“I knew we had a good team, but I didn’t know we had that good of a team,” she said.
All the parents seemed to echo the same opinion that OBOB is a great alternative to competitive opportunities.
“It’s nice we can have after-school events involving competition with academics,” said Pete Saveskie, Olivia’s dad. “This is for kids who excel in reading, and it provides them an opportunity to compete, as well.”
The Story Serpents will finish their journey April 7 at Chemeketa Community College in Salem when they compete for the state championship.