Brier Elementary Tree-Huggers win school district 2025 Battle of the Books
Brier Elementary School's Battle of the Books team, the Tree-Huggers, achieved first place in the district competition on April 24, showcasing exceptional reading skills. Spruce Elementary's Fantastic Fifth Graders earned second place after winning a tiebreaker against Brier's second team, the Readalotyls. The event, held at Mountlake Terrace Elementary School, brought together 160 students from the Edmonds School District, representing all 20 elementary schools. Participants read 12 selected books and answered questions to demonstrate their retention and understanding. Mountlake Terrace Elementary Librarian David Winkeljohn noted that the Tree-Huggers answered every question correctly during the final round.
Funding for the books, which cost around $10 per child, was not provided by the district this year, leading to a total cost of about $1,600 for all contestants. Instead, all expenses were covered through personal contributions from librarians and the Foundation for Edmonds School District. This community support emphasizes the importance of fostering literacy and engagement in reading among students.