The rain set the stage for a dreary, depressing Monday, but William O’Meara was filled with excitement.

At 11 a.m. he would receive a phone call from his favorite author, Andrew Clements.

The interview was set up after Marita Blanken, St. Joseph’s public relations coordinator, noticed William’s love for reading.

As a fourth-grader at St. Joseph School last year, William participated in the school’s seventh annual “Battle of the Books” and was the spokesperson for his team.

For the event, each team is responsible for reading 10 books which they go on to answer questions about in the spring.

The fourth- and fifth-grade classes compete against each other and the sixth- through eighth-graders have their own competition.

William’s team answered 42 out of 45 questions correctly and became the first fourth-grade team to win the competition.

He is already looking forward to next year’s battle, where he may be challenged by his younger brother, Patrick, who is entering fourth grade.

The “Battle of the Books” competition furthered William’s love for reading and allowed him to read another book by his favorite author, Clements.

St. Joseph librarian Regina McCutcheon, who started the school’s “Battle of the Books” program, said Clements’ books have always been on the list for the competition because both boys and girls relate to them so well.

When Blanken began to research the famous author, she was hoping to somehow contact him for an inspirational quote for the students.

But she never imagined his response: not only would he do an interview with her, but he insisted on talking with William, who she had said was one of his biggest fans.

“He really connects well with these kids, and it was just wonderful to see that he would give William this time,” Blanken said. “I had focused on William because he seemed to be a real true-love reader and he was well-spoken on the microphone at school and well spoken on the phone.”

From questions about how Clements comes up with ideas for his stories to what his favorite book was as a kid, William spent more than a half an hour on the phone with his idol.

The two spoke about their shared love for “The Hardy Boys” and how being an avid reader can lead to being a great writer.

When William asked Clements which of his own books he favored most, Clements said that books, in many ways, are like children.

“I learned something new about each one,” Clements said, “and each one was the right one for that time.”

It was a conversation William will never forget.

“It was so cool,” William said. “I never thought I would get to speak to my favorite author.”