EMSB’s Battle of the Books competition set for March 27

Students from LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent, Laurier Macdonald High School in Saint-Léonard, Vincent Massey Collegiate in Rosemount, Westmount High School and Royal West Academy in Montreal West will face off in a head-to-head test of their literary knowledge, as the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) holds its third annual “Battle of the Books” competition. It will take place on Tuesday, March 27 (7 p.m.) in the Laurence Patterson Room of the EMSB Administration Building (6000 Fielding Avenue) in NDG.

Organized by the EMSB’s Education and Technology Services (ETS), “Battle of the Books” will test the teams’ detailed knowledge of 12 pre-selected young adult books that the students have read prior to the competition. The winners will go on to represent the EMSB in the “Ultimate Battle” on Tuesday, April 17, which will be hosted by the Lester B Pearson School Board (1925 Brookdale Ave., Dorval).  The winning team will compete for the city-wide title against the winning teams from the Lester B Pearson School Board (LBPSB) and the Quebec Association of Independent Schools (QAIS).  

EMSB Librarian Alissa Rosellini notes that “Battle of the Books” is a great way to celebrate reading through a spirit of friendly competition. Started at the LBPSB in 2013, the Battle has steadily grown each year to include an increasing number of schools from across the city. This will be the third year that the EMSB will hold its own elimination game at the Board level to determine a finalist for the Ultimate Battle.

The EMSB “Battle of the Books” on March 27 will include appearances by special guests Alarey Alsip, an actress, writer and director as well as a teacher at Geordie Productions, Arizona O’Neill, Children’s Coordinator at La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly, Connie Primiano, a former EMSB Human Resources Assistant Director and former principal of Honoré Mercier, Dunrae Gardens, and Cedarcrest Schools, and Matthew Shapiro, Head Teacher of FOCUS and singer-songwriter.

ETS would like to thank CBC Canada Reads, Drawn & Quarterly, Livres Babar, Librairie Clio and Librairie Paragraphe for supporting this event. Admission is free to the competition, and is open to the public.