BATTLE OF THE BOOKS and LITERACY FAIR, Red Hill Elementary, Tustin, CA

Book display at Red Hill Elementary Battle of the Books and Literacy Fair.

On Monday March 2^nd, Read Across America Day, I was one of seven authors with an exhibit table at the Battle of the Books and Literacy Fair at Red Hill Elementary School in Tustin, California. The Battle of the Books is a nation-wide program celebrating reading. At Red Hill, five teams of three students each had read nine books (three by each student) and then responded to questions in a Jeopardy-like competition. There were two rounds of questions. In the first round, students responded by writing their answers on an erase board. In the second round they raced to ring a buzzer in order to answer the question. Parents and brothers and sisters cheered them on from the audience. Before and after the competition and during the intermission, students and their parents browsed the exhibit tables, purchased books and snacks, and got autographs from the authors on their programs. It was a fun community event, celebrating the joy of reading.

Families watch as students on stage compete in the Battle of the Books.

I thank science teacher Reena Fosse for inviting me and for organizing the event. I also thank school librarian Vinnie Yeung and the volunteer high school students who helped with the set-up. Reena Fosse told me that she started the Battle of the Books when her children were students at Red Hill Elementary. This was the fourth year of Battle of the Books. She told me that it gets bigger and better every year.