The Battle of the Books team from South Lenoir High School will represent LCPS in regional competition next month after winning the district-level contest. The team is, from left, Trinity Beverly, Drew Hedrick, Pari Patel, with coach Ryan Gardner.

A small but mighty team from South Lenoir High School will represent LCPS in the regional High School Battle of the Books next month after claiming the district title in a head-to-head contest with the Kinston High School team last week.

“I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough student interest to make a team and I ended up with a remarkable trio of readers,” said Ryan Gardner, the science department chair at South Lenoir and the school’s Battle of the Books coach.

The South Lenoir team – Trinity Beverly, Drew Hedrick and Pari Patel – racked up wins in five of six rounds to defeat the host Kinston High team.

 “I am proud of my team and all of the hard work they have put into the competition,” Gardner said. “My team enjoyed the competition with KHS and they look forward to competing in the next level.”

The LCPS champs will face off against teams from Onslow and New Hanover counties in the regional contest scheduled for April 5 in the media center at Kinston High.

Kinston High media coordinator Sara Levin, who coaches her school’s team, is a member of the NC School Library Media Association HBoB Committee. As a member of the faculty at the former Contentnea Elementary School, she launched the Battle of the Books team there.  

 “Battle of the Books is something very near and dear to my heart,” Levin said. “I see the excitement NCSLMA’s BoB programs bring to our students and how it helps them grow and expand as readers. I am so proud of both schools and wish South Lenoir success at the regional.”

Battle of the Books, which LCPS holds at the elementary, middle and high school levels, tests students’ knowledge of books from a common reading list of fiction and nonfiction titles through questions related to content. This year, there were 15 books on the reading list. The books are selected by the NCSLMA HBoB Committee based on student suggestions, school staff suggestions, representation, diversity and trends in literature.

“Kinston High School's team was excited to have a district competition. In the past, we had to wait till the regional to compete,” Levin said.

Members of the Kinston High team were Ramiyah Flood-Dawson, Zahara Jackson, Alissa Jones, Lillian Lewin, Mallory Miller and Rhiannan Wiegel.