Beloit’s fourth- and fifth-grade bookworms battled for trophies and bragging rights at the 42nd Annual BookQuest Competition, a battle-of-the-books-type competition held each spring at the Beloit Public Library.
A record 16 teams from eight schools participated, including Garden Prairie Intermediate, The Lincoln Academy, Merrill Elementary, Robinson Elementary, Converse Elementary, Todd Elementary, Gaston Elementary, and Hackett Elementary.
The festivities included remarks from Wisconsin State Senator Mark Spreitzer and Wisconsin State Representative Clinton Anderson about the importance of libraries and reading.
Winners of this year’s contest were:
1st Place: Todd Howlers (Todd Elementary School)
Jesufemi Adeniyi
Miguel Jimenez-Sandoval
Kai Zhang
Isabella Miranda
2nd Place: Garden Prairie Wolves (Garden Prairie Intermediate School)
William Blum
Brooklynn Brewer
Honesty Hawkins
Maleek Smith
3rd Place: The Best Cougars (Converse Elementary School)
Kahliyah Anderson
Harper Olson
Kemarii McClinton
Elijah Sanderson
Karson Smith
BookQuest has evolved into a yearlong program that kicks off in the fall, features supplementary programming throughout the year including author visits, and culminates with a final competition in the spring. The 2025-26 BookQuest book list will be announced soon.
BookQuest programs and events are funded by Ecolab Foundation, Beloit Public Library Foundation, and the Judith H. Adams Fund of Stateline Community Foundation. Judy Adams was a longtime BPL staff member, BookQuest program organizer, and community advocate whose lifework was connecting children with the magic and wonder of reading.
