When Keelyn Kriwanek was in second grade, her older sister Grace reached the Oregon Battle of the Books finals. The question was about the graphic novel “Roller Girl” and no one on stage knew the answer. Sitting in the audience, Keelyn did and wished she could answer.
Now a seventh grader at Lakeridge Middle School, Keelyn has competed in Oregon Battle of the Books countless times, first in elementary school and now at LMS.
Keelyn is part of Team K.C., along with Enid Rittman, Sydney Nguyen, Mason Sackett and Ian van Asselt, which won the Oregon Battle of the Books State Tournament on Saturday, April 13.
“It’s really not about the destination; it’s about the process,” said Keelyn. “It’s about reading the books, learning with your friends; it’s about pushing each other.”
Oregon Battle of the Books is a statewide, reading-based tournament divided into three grade level groups: third to fifth grade, sixth to eighth grade and ninth to 12th grade. The “battles” are similar to a trivia competition show like “Jeopardy!” with questions based on the OBOB book list, which students can start reading during the previous summer vacation. The team members don’t need to read every book on the list, but the team as a whole should have knowledge of the entire list.
“It’s also a wonderful opportunity for families to see their children shine in an academic setting,” said Aletia Cochran, the talented and gifted program coordinator at both Lake Oswego School District middle schools. “Most of us think of reading as a quiet, solitary affair, and many of us read to achieve a bit of solitude or companionship with characters and authors. OBOB brings readers into a collaborative and problem-solving framework.”
Team K.C. wasn’t the only LOSD school to compete in the state tournament. Lakeridge High School’s “Bibliophiles”earned second place, losing to Benson Polytechnic High School in the final. Keelyn’s older sister Grace was on the LHS team.
“My sister will be a senior, so it’d be really cool to be on a team with her as well, when I’m a freshman,” said Keelyn, adding that reading is an important part of their family. “I loved reading at nighttime, and my parents have always read to me; my sister has read to me; it’s really been about family just reading and it’s just so much fun.”
In addition to LMS and LHS, Hallinan Elementary School and Westridge Elementary School also sent teams to the state tournament. OBOB begins with school tournaments before regional competitions to determine who goes to state. For many students, joining an OBOB team is a great way to build confidence in public speaking or learning to read.
Keelyn said many of her favorite books started on the annual OBOB list. Her favorite book this year was “Blackbird Girl.”
“It was such a good book. It was about the Chernobyl accident and about friendship and helping community and such, such a good book,” said Keelyn.
Recently, Keelyn went to Lake Grove Elementary to speak with second graders about starting OBOB teams when they begin third grade.
“I know of a few students who were very nervous going into each school’s tournament day, and while their teams didn’t become the school champion, each said the event was more fun than they expected and that they are looking forward to next year. That’s precious feedback because I firmly believe power and beauty are in the journey,” said Cochran.
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