Xavier’s Fiction Fanatics made their debut appearance in this year’s Iowa High School “Battle of the Books.” Battle of the Books tests students’ abilities to retain information from books they have read. Each team consists of six students and is tasked with reading 28 books prior to the beginning of the competition. The competition consists of two parts: the online test and the grand battle, where the best teams compete in person. Xavier’s team completed the online portion on March 9 and placed 13th out of 73 teams, earning them one of 16 spots in the grand battle.

Xavier’s Fiction Fanatics consists of six members individually selected by club moderators Mrs. Tracie Marshall and Mrs. Emily Moses. The members include seniors Piper Kesselring and Megan Korbel, junior Kathleen Kenney, and freshmen Nicole Constant, Emma Reasner, and Kaylie Skoumal. Members were chosen for their passion and dedication to reading.

A prime example of the passion that Mrs. Marshall and Mrs. Moses looked for in potential members can be found in Kesselring. In addition to the fun and relaxation that reading provides her,

Kesselring sees a lot of value in reading. “Reading is good for the mind,” Kesselring said. “It is an undervalued basic skill that we all take for granted as it can lead us to many places in life.” Enthusiasm toward reading and the competition is not just found in the students. Mrs. Marshall and Mrs. Moses are also very excited about this new opportunity for readers. “I have always loved reading and books,” Mrs. Marshall said. “I just wanted these students, who read all the time, to get an opportunity to read some books they wouldn’t have normally read.” Xavier’s Fiction Fanatics will compete next at the grand battle on April 26 in Marshalltown, Iowa.