Hocker Grove Middle School Wins the 2025 Battle of the Books

Books can bring people together and the annual Battle of the Books proved that even in a competitive environment, books create connection.

“I feel like the bond that we made over the year has really made us more mentally in tune with each other.” shared Eva Bryant, an eighth grader at Hocker Grove Middle school and one of this year’s Battle of the Books Champions. 

The Hocker Grove team won this year’s competition and got to celebrate their victory in their home library with their devoted librarian, Carol Edds. 

“We had a group of dedicated students that came and really applied themselves and had fun in the meantime and grew close as a result,” said Edds 

Battle of the Books is a districtwide competition where readers from all Shawnee Mission middle schools put their memories and comprehensive reading skills to the test by reading 10 books, selected by their school librarians.  When the competition takes place,  students answer trivia questions about those books. 

“I really wasn't thinking that I was gonna be good at this,” admitted Mia Menking, a Hocker Grove seventh grader. “But, I feel more confident about myself because these books, the variety, the range, is amazing. “I feel like it's teaching you to store things in your mind. It's gonna become useful for later.”

This year’s champions confessed that the competitive format of the event was outside of their comfort zone. “I don't really participate in a lot of competitions,” Bryant shared. “Honestly, I'm not a very competitive person. I just like to read.” But, by leaning on each other, the team reached their goal, in more ways than one. 

“I used to think that the goal was to win,” said Edds. “ Now, I realize that the process is just as much of a win, because they have such a good time, and we laugh and we, you know, we have snacks together, and it's been a great experience.”