By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
For 25 elementary school teams from across Allegan County, Saturday was all about books, teamwork and a little friendly competition.
The annual Battle of the Books competition returned to the Plainwell Performing Arts Center, bringing together students in grades three through five from eight elementary schools representing Plainwell, Otsego, Hopkins and Martin.
While last year set a participation record with 27 teams, this year’s 25 teams still filled the PAC with what organizers described as one of the most energetic audiences yet.
“It was very exciting to have 25 teams participating from eight different elementary schools in the county,” said Jennifer Fazio, who organizes the event alongside Laura Adams and Julie Potter. “We don’t have any official count, but there were more attendees in the audience supporting these kids who have worked so hard over the last few months.
“It was a super exciting and encouraging auditorium.”
Fazio credited the Plainwell PAC staff for helping make the day special.
“The Plainwell Performing Arts Center staff does a remarkable job making this special for the kids,” she said.
This year’s theme was “Retro Picks in 2026,” as all six titles were selections that had appeared on previous Battle of the Books reading lists. The books included:
- Catch a Story Fish by Janice Harrington
- Danger on the Mountain: True Stories of Extreme Adventure by Greg Treinish
- Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
- Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt
- Punished by David Lubar
- Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Battle of the Books consists of preliminary rounds featuring three rounds of seven questions based on the selected titles. Teams have 30 seconds to answer each question before moving on, with the top two teams from each battle advancing to the Grand Battle.
As in recent years, the format also includes visual questions and rotating team members at the microphone, creating an atmosphere that feels part quiz bowl, part pep rally.
According to Fazio, the competition this year was especially tight.
“Lots of excitement and teamwork,” she said. “The competition was so close. We loved reading.”
While there is a trophy at stake, organizers say the event is ultimately about something deeper.
“Reading and talking about books is just fun for all of us, and then to be able to share that idea and experience with kids and volunteer coaches is a joy,” Fazio said.
She recalled one student who entered the competition expecting to enjoy Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Fish in a Tree, but was surprised by how much he enjoyed Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.
“Books can really open the reader to new things, and then talking about the stories with others pushes the experience even further,” Fazio said. “Just like a book club.”
This year’s Grand Battle champion was “Catching a Win” from Gilkey Elementary. Other teams competing in the Grand Battle were Catching A Rock Star, Galactic Baddies, Back to the 80’s, Escaping the Mountain of Stories, Anything But Mac & Cheese, Book Bandits and Summit Seekers.
Organizers also offered a special thank-you to the volunteer coaches, parents and school staff members who help cultivate a love of reading in students.
“We are still hopeful to build this to invite more schools in Allegan County to join us next year,” Fazio said.
After more than 20 years of competition, Battle of the Books continues to evolve—but its core remains the same: celebrating stories and building readers.
