Team Chef’s Kiss from Timber Ridge Middle School won the 2026 District 202 middle school Battle of the Books competition on Thursday, February 26, 2026, hosted at IndianTrail Middle School.
Team members - Captain Olivia Nenoff, Kaitlynn Johnson, Caroline Wodziak, Annabel Click, and Vanessa Nowinski, all eighth graders - brought home the District trophy for the second straight year.
Chef’s Kiss outlasted a strong showing by team Gummy Sharks from John F. Kennedy Middle School in an Olympic-themed battle.
The road to the championship began last year when each District 202 middle school hosted its internal competition to crown a school champion.
About 990 middle school students on 221 teams competed districtwide for the chance to advance to the final battle this week.
Each team had to read five books - totaling more than 1,500 pages - then answer a series of questions to advance.
Media Center staff wrote 550 questions to ask throughout the competition.
Other teams that competed were:
Team DeGeus from Heritage Grove Middle School
The Grilled Chicken Wings from Indian Trail Middle School
Book Dragons WithaZ from Ira Jones Middle School
The Legends from Drauden Point Middle School
Pink Fluffy Unicorns from Aux Sable Middle School
“Much like the Olympic athletes we admire, these students have demonstrated incredible dedication, passion, and the grit to tackle a difficult challenge,” said Aggie Ferris, Media Center Specialist at Indian Trail Middle School, during the competition.
“Today we aren’t just celebrating a competition; we are celebrating their commitment to growth and the hope they represent for a future filled with the joy of reading.”
