On January 24, students and staff took part in the Battle of the Books at Merced High School. It was the school’s first time competing since 2019, and despite the long break, the teams gave it their best shot.
LBHS sent two student teams and one staff team, with each participant reading twenty books from different genres, including modern favorites and classic novels. They competed against 19 student teams and six staff teams from eight schools.
The student teams finished in 11th and 13th place, while the staff team placed 5th. When all the schools’ results were combined, LBHS ranked 7th out of 8, a solid result, especially considering some last-minute changes to the teams right before the event.
Even with a few challenges, students and staff had a great time. Tateum Cardenas (11) said, “We had a lot of fun trying our best at the competition and even though we weren’t the top team there we learned a lot from the experience and are getting ready for next year.
Jayda Cardenas (11) stated, “Even though we didn’t win, I had a great time because I got to hang out with my friends and compete with people who liked the same things as me.”
Mrs. Seaborn, a staff member, also reflected on the experience saying, “This was my second Battle of the Books competition. I enjoy being on a team with my coworkers. But my favorite part is seeing LBHS students and other students get excited about books.”
LBHS Participants & Results
11th Place Team
- Brooke Barton
- Noah Cardenas
- Jayda Cardenas
- Taetum Cardenas
- Bradley English
- Christal Gutierrez
- Hailey Tangco
13th Place Team
- Juliette Ortiz
- James Rasmussen
Now, LBHS is already getting ready for next year’s Battle of the Books. If you are interested in participating in next year’s Battle of the Books Competition contact Mrs. Teixeira, room 510!
