An eight-year-long dry spell has ended at Powell Middle School. It had been that long since the students had brought home the visiting trophy for the Challenge of the Books.

The competition brings teams of five to seven students together to go head to head, pitting their knowledge of books against teams from six other area middle schools.

But not just any books are included. These titles are from the Soaring Eagle and Indian Paintbrush award nominees. Powell Middle School librarian Denise Catlin said her team saw mostly Indian Paintbrush titles, since Soaring Eagle books are aimed at students in grades 9-12. 

A committee selects 12 titles and team coaches write questions for the competition. Shelly King, a retired librarian, was in charge of gathering up the questions for the challenge as well as providing practice questions. 

This year at PMS, only five students signed up to participate in the competition.

“There was less excitement this year because they had to do it virtually,” Catlin said. 

Kate Miller, an eighth grade student, served as team captain. Other team members were Curtis Muecke, Jenessa Polson, Kendel Eden and Kyra Morrow.

Students then read the books on their own time and were tested on them. After testing the students could sign up to be experts on three books. 

Unlike most teams, though, Powell’s had only one whole team practice session. With two eighth-graders and three seventh-graders, and each class having different lunch periods, there was only one chance to work together: the morning of the competition. 

At that event, two schools face off, one designated as the A team, the other as the B team. Questions are put to each by turn and that team has 30 seconds to work out the  answer. At the end of that time, the team captain answers the question.

If the answer is correct, the team receives five points and the next question goes to the other team. If the answer is incorrect, the question is posed to the other team, who has the chance to steal it and earn three points. 

Each team faces every other team in a round robin format and answers one question from each book in every round.

The winner is determined either by total points or rounds won. This year, there was no room for second-guessing the tallies — Powell won both on total points and every round. 

Miller, Muecke, Polson, Eden and Morrow are all receiving personal medals and the bragging rights that go with the traveling trophy.

Catlin also allowed each student to order a book they wanted, since there was no trip to the competition where the winners would normally get to select prize packages of books and candy.

The Powell team will also have a celebratory team luncheon, highlighted with each student’s favorite Subway sandwich.