Midvale Middle School's Riveting Radical Readers won the Canyons School District Book Blitz championship last spring, beating Indian Hills Middle's Read 'Em and Weep in the final round of the Jeopardy-style reading competition.

The district-wide contest challenges middle school teams of up to five students to read and study 20 books throughout the school year, then answer questions on stage under time pressure, as first reported by the Sandy Journal. Top teams from each school advance to the district championship.

The final was close.

Seventh-grader Susannah Dastrup, a member of the winning Midvale team, told the Sandy Journal the pressure built as rounds progressed. "The first round, we were nervous because we didn't know what to expect," she said. "Once we learned what the questions were like, we relaxed. But when we had to go up on stage for finals, we got nervous again."

Some team members read all 20 books two or three times to prepare. The win marked a jump for several Riveting Radical Readers who had placed fourth the previous year.

Midvale Middle teacher-librarian Judy Rembacz told the Journal she was proud the students prepared independently, calling herself "ecstatic" for the team.

Draper Park Middle eighth-grader Maggie Dunn won the individual title after reading all 20 books. She edged out Midvale Middle seventh-grader Tabitha Bradley and Indian Hills Middle's Phoebe Fullmer, who tied for second. Canyons District library media specialist Gretchen Zaitzeff told the Journal that five individual winners finished within one or two points of each other.

Sandy organizations played a visible role in the competition. Sandy Rotary contributed funds to purchase books and team T-shirts and sent volunteers to the district contest. The Printed Garden bookstore in Sandy donated prizes of books and gift certificates.

The district also runs Book Blitz Jr. for fourth and fifth graders, who read 12 books before competing. Last year, more than 800 elementary students participated across 23 schools. Peruvian Park won that championship over Draper Elementary, 48 to 45. Sandy Elementary finished third.

At a March 31 Canyons School District board meeting, Katie Dahle thanked PTA volunteers for promoting literacy activities including the Book Blitz. The Canyons Education Foundation raised nearly $100,000 at a gala to support in-kind donations for district programs.

This year's Book Blitz reading list includes titles by Megan Freeman, James Patterson and Kwame Alexander, Alan Gratz and Nicholas Day. Students across the district are already reading ahead for next spring's competition.