By JOYCE CORRIGAN
Ah, those epic literary rivalries of yore: Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mary McCarthy and Lillian Hellman and, none better than Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal. Who can forget the fellow National Book Award winners trading insults on talk shows, culminating in Mailer knocking Vidal to the ground at a cocktail party — only for Vidal to dust himself off and deliver the verbal knockout: “Once again, words fail Norman Mailer.”
Happily, the tradition of literary feuds lives on in our midst. Less pugilistic perhaps, but just as to-the-death combative. Just ask the kids who compete in the increasingly popular Battle of the Books, the fiercely competitive Westchester-wide contest for elementary school kids staged by the formidable Westchester Library System.
This year, on Oct. 26, for the second time in the contest’s 10-year history, Team Bedford’s fourth- through seventh-grade team bested 14 other teams and happily hoisted the gleaming gold first place trophy.
Twelve kids from Bedford, Bedford Hills, Mount Kisco, Katonah and Armonk took part in the book-based trivia tournament held this year at Ossining High School. With six rounds of 25 rapid fire questions, a buzzer system, and 15-seconds to consult with your team, think of it as a high-brow “Family Feud.” That Battle of the Books is not affiliated with any school — meaning the reading is above and beyond their homework assignments — makes the commitment that much more impressive.
Coached by Maureen McManus, who has been the young adult librarian at the Bedford Free Library for 14 years, and Jennifer Peralta, the children’s librarian at the Bedford Hills Free Library, Team Bedford had been in training since June, soon after the announcement flier went out.
As for the recent conquest, Bedford Free Library director, Ann Cloonan, is clearly enjoying the David and Goliath comparison. “Bedford Village and Bedford Hills are by far the smallest libraries in the Westchester System,” she said. “And our Maureen is only part time. But she’s figured out how to compete and win, while making it really fun for the kids. We’ve won twice, and last year made it to the finals.”
When asked what impact this friendly competition and big win has had on the community, McManus answered with a laugh. “Well, the first word that comes to mind wouldn’t be ‘friendly,’” she said. “It’s extremely intense. Each round is lightning fast. There’s always some crying.”
Team Bedford won in 2015 under McManus’ coaching but lost to Eastchester in the finals last year. “We all vowed,” said McManus, that “we were coming back this year to crush it.” Smarts, hard work and team spirit, McManus believes, led to victory. All the teams graciously shook hands when it was over.
“When we won, the kids couldn’t stop jumping up and down and screaming,” McManus said. “Winning wasn’t everything to these bright ambitious youngsters. To paraphrase football coaching legend Vince Lombardi, it was ‘the only thing.’”
An athletic analogy is not far off. McManus remembers physical, adrenaline-pumping weekly practices at the Bedford Free Library. “The kids got so boisterous one afternoon that the Noise app on Jennifer (Peralta’s) iPhone sent her a notification that it had detected harmful environmental noises.”
Cloonan, too, recalls some raucous practice sessions.
“Once I was sure they were going to crash through the ceiling,” she said. The fact is that many on Team Bedford were also active members on sports teams. “Not only did we have fantastic students, there were several baseball and lacrosse players and track stars,” says McManus. “For sure this competition requires speed and agility, and an ability to remember strategy, think on your feet and work with your team.”
Team Bedford 2024 consisted of nine boys and three girls.
“The Battle of the Books teams have always been boy-heavy,” Cloonan observed. “They really love to compete.” Though the girls more than held their own this year. “One girl said that the day we won was the best day of her life.”
Team Bedford’s victory is actually a bittersweet one; after 23 years with BFL, McManus will be retiring after January. Starting out as a volunteer in 2001, she worked on both the library’s adult and children’s desk before becoming young adult librarian in 2010.
“We’re going to miss her terribly,” Cloonan said. “Maureen has strengthened all of our programs. She has built up an amazing network of local authors, poets and academics who’ve participated in contests and events and made the library what it is today.”
McManus vows that she’ll keep a hand in at some level going forward, although the Battle of the Books win might serve as a fitting epilogue.
“It’s great to go out on a high,” Cloonan said.
If the big themes of Young Adult books are always coming of age, self-discovery, and meeting life’s challenges as they come, this year’s Team Bedford certainly comprehended what they read and aced the test. “It was clear most of them had memorized each of the books!” McManus said. “During the competition, we finished each round in record time, often answering the question before the host finished asking it. I heard one of the veteran judges say, ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’ Of all my many memories, that might be my favorite.”