Archdiocesan Battle of the Books Takes Over Marist Campus

At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, Marist 7th graders formed a grade level team of four students who read pre-selected books in preparation for the Battle of the Books (BOB), the reading competition created in 2003 by Catholic school librarians and sponsored by the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Each school’s librarians designated titles from a wide variety of genres and formulated questions for the tournament based on comprehension and knowledge of each book. The challenge is open to all area Catholic school students in grades 3-8.

Claire Duffy ’28 has participated in the competition for five years, winning the championship title the past four years in a row first at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic School and then at Marist School. Despite her personal winning streak going into the final round of competition this year, Duffy said, “I was nervous that I would say something wrong or get the wrong answer, but for some reason I thought we were going to win. I was right!” Duffy plans to participate one last time in 2024 during her 8th grade year at Marist.

“Battle of the Books encourages students to encounter stories from diverse perspectives and experiences in a team setting that nurtures reading and cooperation,” said Marist School Librarian and BOB Master of Ceremonies Ms. Angela Williams. “Through extensive reading, Foundations students further develop the necessary reading comprehension skills and background knowledge necessary to strive and succeed in high school. This perspective-broadening activity speaks to why we encourage students to actively engage in the world around them inspired by books they read.”

Marist was honored to host the competition for its 20th year and to participate with our fellow Atlanta-area Catholic schools to encourage students to develop a love for reading.

View photos from the 2023 Battle of the Books.