Today the Erie County Public Library hosted nearly 100 high school students for a regional reading competition, the Battle of the Books!
The Battle of the Books brought together eight teams from across Erie County to join in the library’s inaugural reading competition for Erie County high school students. Four teams from Fort LeBoeuf High School, two from General McLane High School, one from McDowell High School and one from Fairview High School were all challenged to read 24 books over the winter then test their knowledge of the material at the Blasco Library in today’s competition.
Across three rounds of questioning and a final exhibition lightning round, the teams earned points resulting in “The Page Turners” of Fairview High School claiming the throne. Each of the top 3 scoring teams earned prizes for their members, and all participants received a free book to take home.
“The Battle of the Books creates or nurtures a love of reading in these young adults,” says Alyssa Johnson, communication and outreach coordinator for Erie County Public Library. “The Library wants these students reading for the enjoyment of reading, not solely because a book is required for class.”
2026 marks the first year of Erie County Public Library operating the Battle of the Books; the competition is a continuation of previous battles organized by North East High School and is open to all Erie County high school students in grades 9-12. Interested teams and teens may find more information about the competition on the Battle of the Books page.
