Atchison County youth in 4th through 6th grade are diligently reading this year’s Missouri Mark Twain award winning books. The Battle of the Books event will take place Friday, March 29, 2019, at the Tarkio Resource Center in Tarkio, Missouri, beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Last year Battle of the Books had 60 youth making up 16 different teams. This event would not be possible without the encouragement of local elementary school teachers and librarians. The Atchison County Development Corporation grant buys extra copies of the award books for each school, pizza and drinks before the event begins, take-home bags for participants, prize drawings, and special bags for the top four teams.