Twenty Westchester libraries sent teams ranging in age from nine to 15 to the Battle of the Books on Oct. 20, which was held in the classrooms and gym of Hendrick Hudson High School.

A nervous energy filled the room. Some kids ran around to get the nerves out, while others sat in small groups, quizzing each other. Parents and coaches were in the bleachers. A woman called for everyone to sit down. It was time to begin the battle.

Every year, for the past five years, the Battle of the Books has seen exciting competitions over knowledge about selected books. After much preparation, the 20 teams were ready to go against one another this year.

There were two divisions, one for grades fourth through sixth and one for grades sixth through tenth. There were five rounds of competition in which all teams participated. In each round, there were 25 questions. Each correct question counted as a point. The top eight teams moved on to the quarterfinals.

The teams from the Town of Pelham Public Library were the Pelham Page Turners (younger division) and the Readers of Oz (older division).

Uma Kancharla, who was a member of the Pelham Page Turners, said she “loved the suspense and the excitement” of the competition.

The Page Turners did not make it to the quarterfinals. They played five rounds, winning two.

The Readers of Oz dominated in the first six rounds. The older teams were then split into two divisions. Pelham was in group B, and for a while, they had the most points in either division. The Pelham team won through all the way to the semifinals. 

Both Pelham teams worked hard and had fun.

Editor’s note: Delia Lavallee, a staff reporter for the Pelham Examiner, was a member of the Pelham Page Turners.