Battle of the Books 2025

The last two weeks of February were all about reading for many elementary, middle, and high school OCS students as they competed in the district's annual Battle of the Books competitions. 

Battle of the Books exposes students to challenging and quality works of literature, improving their reading skills, maturing their choices of reading materials, and helping them learn from a variety of world views. After they read more than a dozen preselected titles, they compete in several rounds of questioning, putting their knowledge of what they read to the test.   

Elementary titles for the 2025 competition included Stella by Starlight, Shouting at the Rain, The Fourteenth Goldfish, and more. Middle school competitors read books like A Wish in the Dark, Beyond the Bright Sea, and The Lost Year. High school teams’ list included Killers of the Flower Moon, Educated, Recursion, and more.    

Congratulations to the winning teams at each grade level, and a job well done to all who competed!  

Elementary School Winners 

• 1st Place: Parkwood Elementary 

• 2nd Place: Swansboro Elementary 

• 3rd Place: Silverdale Elementary 

Middle School Winners 

• 1st Place: Jacksonville Commons Middle 

• 2nd Place: New Bridge Middle 

• 3rd Place: Southwest Middle 

High School Winners 

• 1st Place: Richlands High  

• 2nd Place: Swansboro High 

• 3rd Place: Northside High