UAE: School children in Abu Dhabi read 2,900 books during summer vacation in reading challenge

Winners won in 14 categories, with five categories naming one winner each in English and Arabic. Categories included Summer Bookworm, Awesome Adventurer, Undercover Inspector, Thrill Seeker, and Poetic Heart. Other winners were crowned in categories such as Most Diverse Reader, Most Engaged Reader, Most Enjoyable Reading Corner, and Most Creative Book Collection.

Adek welcomed the winners at a celebration at his home office, citing their enthusiasm and ability to serve as a role model for other students.

Adek launched the Battle of the Books in May and invited students to sign up for the challenge. Registered students were tasked with reading as many books as possible in their preferred genre and recording the titles on a digital reading log. Participants were also subjected to periodic surprise challenges and twists.

With the start of the new 2022/23 school year, the two-phase team category has begun with the first phase, running until November, to allow schools to prepare their teams and participate in classroom training cycles . Approximately 72 teams will compete for places in the inter-school semi-finals in January and February 2023. Play-offs will continue until the top teams remain for each gender, with each team then advancing to the grand final of the competition .

Coinciding with UAE Reading Month, March’s Grand Final will take the form of a live quiz show with contending teams battling it out for the championship. The ultimate winning Battle of the Books team will lift a champion trophy and additional valuable prizes will be awarded in different categories to eligible participating students.