16th annual Battle of the Books

Parents, teachers, librarians and over 300 students from 16 different archdiocesan and independent Catholic schools turned out for the 16th annual Battle of the Books at St. Catherine of Siena School, Kennesaw, May 10. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Mayor Derek Easterling of Kennesaw gives a motivational charge to the students before they set off for competition during the 16th annual Battle of the Books at St. Catherine of Siena School, Kennesaw. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Mayor Derek Easterling of Kennesaw gives a motivational charge to the students before they set off for competition during the 16th annual Battle of the Books at St. Catherine of Siena School, Kennesaw. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Angela Williams, a librarian at Marist School, Atlanta, served as the mistress of ceremonies in the morning and she posed questions to the teams during the final competitions in the afternoon. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Queen of Angels librarian Sue Van Rooyen, standing in the background, presented book questions to one of the fifth-grade teams during the semifinal round. Each grade level, third through eighth, subdivided by an “A” and “B” team, competed in their respective rooms to determine which 12 teams would compete in the Battle of the Books finals. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

(Clockwise, from bottom right) Beno Varghese, her four-year-old daughter Rachel Abraham, Shylaja Sivaprakasam, Varghese’s mother-in-law Molly Abraham, and her husband Moby Abraham hung out in the gymnasium while the students were away for some 90 minutes competing in the semifinals. The two families had daughters competing at different grade levels for St. John Neumann Regional School, Lilburn. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Using different methods and devices, Holy Spirit Preparatory School teachers (l-r) Whitney Wright, fourth-grade, Leslie Hein, third-grade, and Kathy Ann Nixon, fourth-grade, get some work done in the gymnasium, while the students are away competing in the Battle of the Books semifinal round. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

While the students were away for some 90 minutes competing in the Battle of the Books semifinals, St. John Neumann Regional School parents (counterclockwise, from middle left) Meg Rubin, Urcina Soto, Aneta Mazurkiewicz, Tres Scott, Nicole Smith and Amy Lampert found ways to keep themselves busy in the school gymnasium. Lampert had a daughter competing on the sixth-grade team, but she is also a fifth-grade teacher at the school. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Upon returning from the semifinal competitions, some teams like the fifth-graders from Queen of Angels School, Roswell, were greeted with “high fives” and smiles from elated parents and teachers after sharing the good news of making the finals. Their third-grade team also made the finals. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Upon returning from the semifinal competitions, some teams like the third-graders from Queen of Angels School, Roswell, bottom right, received hugs and smiles from elated parents and teachers after sharing the good news of making the finals. Their fifth-grade team also made the finals. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Students, from all schools and grades, break for lunch on the recess field before the finals get underway at noon. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Queen of Angels students (l-r) Julianne Romine, Isabella Sutapaha, Paula Elizarreras and Caitlyn Ymbras exhibit the thrill of victory after winning the finals for third-graders. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Our Lady of the Assumption School

16th annual Battle of the Books

16th annual Battle of the Books

(L-r) Michael Saenz, Ella Jacobs, Bernadette Grantham and Mary Anna Cumbie, the seventh-grade Battle of the Books team representing St. Catherine Siena School, confer about possible answers if their opponents from St. Joseph School, Athens, fail to come up with the correct response. St. Catherine won the final competition among seventh-graders 9-6. Three points are given for each correct answer during five rounds of questioning. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Ella Jacobs, second from left, and her other three teammates from St. Catherine of Siena School, Kennesaw, including Michael Saenz, far left, can’t believe their answer to the question was incorrect during the Battle of the Books. Their team rebounded and won the final competition among seventh-graders 9-6. Three points are given for each correct answer during five rounds of questioning. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Ella Jacobs, second from left, and her other three teammates from St. Catherine of Siena School, Kennesaw, including Michael Saenz, far left, can’t believe their answer to the question was incorrect during the Battle of the Books. Their team rebounded and won the final competition among seventh-graders 9-6. Three points are given for each correct answer during five rounds of questioning. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

(L-r) Chiara Zaccagnino and her Battle of the Books teammates from St. Catherine of Siena School, Kennesaw, Paige Woodham and Catherine Geiger-Costa, were relieved when they answered a difficult question correctly. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

The eighth-grade Battle of the Books team from St. Joseph School, Athens, (l-r) Daphne Crawford, Jude Paradela, Patrick Holmes and Rachel Duncan successfully answer a question to push the competition beyond the customary five rounds. St. Joseph defeated host school, St. Catherine of Siena, 21-18 in an epic 10-round clash. Photo By Michael Alexander

16th annual Battle of the Books

Notre Dame Academy, Duluth, had winners (l-r) among their sixth-grade team, Anissa Ottley, Ashley McDonough Sydney Anderson and Grace Maloney, and their fourth-grade team, Rebecca Murphy, McKenzie Jenny, Anna Grace Bang, and Veronica Kavanaugh. Standing between them in the background is Emily Smolynsky, the school librarian. Photo By Michael Alexander