By Anya Sczerzenie

How many books does the average student read in a year? For a Battle of the Books member, in addition to their regular reading for school and for fun, they have to read extra in order to prepare for their yearly Battle.

Tuscarora’s Battle of the Books team is kind of like an academic team, but instead of answering general knowledge questions, members answer questions based on their knowledge of specific books. The team won their regional semifinals last year, and are working hard to prepare for this year’s competitions in March and April. During their weekly meetings, held in the school library and sponsored by Mrs. Walter, the Battle of the Books team has been practicing hard.

“We have 10 books and we are to read 5. After reading those 5, we compete in competitions where 5 people are up on the stage and work together to answer questions about the other books.” said senior Battle member Natasha Redka. “You’re up there with people who have read all the books, and sometimes during practice you pick things up.”

The 10 titles which Battle of the Books members can choose from are picked before the  beginning of the school year, both fictional and nonfictional, and cover a wide range of subject matter. This year’s titles include Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy, and Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator is Changing the World by Jack Andraka.