The high school Battle of the Books team tied for second place in the state tournament on Feb. 28. The Galena team tied for second place with the Sitka and Yukon-Koyukuk teams.

The team members are Ellie Ruchti, a senior from GILA; Henry Landrum, an IDEA student from Galena; and Lilli Cruz, an IDEA student from Wasilla.

The middle school tied for third place with Kodiak on March 1. Those students are Abigail Landrum and Sable Scotton, both from Galena, and Alex Cruz, an IDEA student from Wasilla. Third and fourth graders also tied for second.

Grades fifth and sixth placed 12th place on March second,” said Genny Brown, the school librarian at the SHS campus and advisor for the team. Fifth and sixth grade did not advance to the championship round, but the rest made it.

“I am very proud of all the teams, they worked hard re-reading battle books and preparing for the state competition,” said Mrs. Brown.

The Battle of The Books team met face to face to participate in the teleconference state battle at the IDEA office in Fairbanks.

“They would start at nine in the morning and go till two-thirty in the afternoon,” said Mrs. Brown.

“I am currently reviewing books on the “working list” for the 2017-2018 school year,” she said.

She wants the students to be reading the best books from “the working list.”

“I feel that this is extremely important as we are choosing books that students will be reading several times,” said Mrs. Brown, adding the battle of the books never stops, it goes all year round.