To the Editor:

The 2014 Canton Free Library Battle of the Books was a fantastic success thanks to every person who played a part! I’d like to recognize the teams, coaches, families and the valuable volunteers for all they did to make this event special.

We had the following 13 teams compete in our exciting double-elimination tournament: the Fast and Furious Four, with Jack Collins, Mary Lobdell, Cade VanBuren, Gretchen Warner, and coach Ginger Thomas; The Page Penguins with Hailey Jordan, Julia Bessette, Cate DeCoteau, Sarah Wells, and coach Kristin Jordan; the Blueberry Muffin Squad with Gavin Thomas, Kyle Hughes, Naomi Crowell, Grace Sawyko, and coach Michelle Thomas: BGR Books with Sam Moses, Brooke Larrabee, Patrick Furgison, Colby Young, and coach Renée Moses; We Are Awesome, Don’t Deny It with Jonah Longshore, Emma Gainey, Madison Hoy, Drew Harmer, and coach Sue Longshore; The Jolly Rancher Readers with Nick Estabrooks, Nikki Husinec, Gabriel Schmid-Doyle, Cooper Stuntz, and coach Paula Jones; We Mustache You a Question, But We’ll Shave It for Later with Sydney Lorenc, Sophia Silver, Grace Franklin, Katie Chisholm, and coach Susan Lorenc; The Hunger for Books Gang with Tawnie Mustain, Alani Buchardt, Jasmine Myers, and coach Patti Stevens; The Reading Representatives with Leif Goldie, Andrew Franklin, Brendan Nolan, Amelia Rodee, and coach Carol Goldie; The Roaring Readers with Kathryn Carvel, Jennah Thompson, Mattigan Porter, Lorelei Barnum, and coaches Jill Polniak and Daina Carvel; Four Rad Readers with Rorie Newman, Lindsey Frazer, Abby Kerrigan, Sarah Sieminski, and coaches Kelli Newman, Edith Frazer and Mary Beth Sieminski; Ridiculous Readers with Kobe Wells, Caleb Bentley-Hicks, Sam Pfotenhauer, Elyse Tavernier, and coach Ron Tavernier; Rascal Readers with Riley Taylor, Anna Woodruff, Catherine Henry, Madalyn Bascom and coaches Daneé Rollins, Mary Caruso, and Sarah Rice.

We were graciously hosted by the First Presbyterian Church of Canton, prizes were donated by the Friends of the Canton Free Library and the St. Lawrence University Bookstore, and lunch was donated by Price Chopper Supermarket and the Friends of the Canton Free Library. Thanks to Dominoes for a great deal on delicious pizza, and thanks also to Tom Dildine for printing our tournament bracket poster. The Canton Police Department kindly offered to place barriers and close the road so kids could safely run across to the village park to play between matches. Thanks to all.

I’d like to give special thanks to volunteers Emily Owen, Kelly Wilson, Marlene Clark, Nancy Palmateer, Morgan Hastings, Dorian Lenney-Wallace, Alberta Nash, Hannah Pfotenhauer, and Stu Gardner for their help.

I am so proud of all the children, and want to recognize their hard work and the good spirit which they demonstrated in the competition! I’m already looking forward to next year!

Valerie White

Youth Services Specialist

Canton Free Library