Congratulations to Saint Paul School from Owosso, pictured below, and Saint John the Evangelist School from Fenton, pictured above, upon winning the inaugural Diocese of Lansing Office of Catholic Schools’ “Book Battle,” hosted in conjunction with Catholic publisher Ignatius Press.
“Our mission as Catholic schools is to draw students more deeply into truth and into an encounter with Jesus Christ,” explained Steve Vaughan, Associate Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Lansing, on May 5.
“The purpose of this ‘book battle,’ through the books that these students have been reading, is to lead these students into a deeper love of reading really good books and then, ultimately, a deeper love of the truth and for Truth himself.”
So, what is a “book battle”? A “book battle” is a friendly competition between students from different schools. In the weeks prior, all competing students read a set list of books. They then come together in person for a quiz-bowl-style competition.
This week’s Diocese of Lansing “book battle” took place in Saint Mary Cathedral parish hall in Lansing. The students were separated into two age categories: a 4th/5th-grade division and a middle school division.
All participating students had been given a list of ten books published by Ignatius Press which, in the words of Steve Vaughan, constituted “good, true, beautiful, faith-filled literature.”
Book titles for the younger children included The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis; Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren; and Maria von Trapp and Her Musical Family by Cheri Blomquist. Titles for the older children included Little Women by Louisa May Alcott; The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit; and The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald.
“I’m elated. I’m so proud of our children,” said teacher Elizabeth Buzo from the victorious 4th/5th-grade team from Saint John the Evangelist School in Fenton. “These great works follow the virtues that we practice, that we teach at Saint John’s, and that we want to live. Reading books like this will continue to reinforce that for us.”
“I’m so proud of these guys, they have been working so hard, and they’re such a good group of kids,” said Principal Laura Heatwole of the winning middle school team from Saint Paul in Owosso. “This sort of competition goes right along with a Catholic liberal education. We made these books required reading for all the kids, and it just helps reinforce all of those values that we’re trying to teach each and every day in Catholic schools.”
