On Wednesday, Beloit’s fourth- and fifth-grade bookworms battled for trophies and bragging rights at the 43rd Annual BookQuest Competition, a battle-of-the-books-type competition held each spring at the Beloit Public Library (BPL).
Fifteen 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:
3rd Place: Book Stars (The Lincoln Academy)
Matilda “Tilly” McKillips
Elena Norris
Bria Williamson
A’Honesti Wofford
Coach Susan Anderson
2nd Place: Garden Prairie Wolves (Garden Prairie Intermediate School)
Will Blum
Jonah Fuentes
Leighton Kreyer
Derek Smith
Coach Nicole Scott
1st Place: Team Turner (Garden Prairie Intermediate School)
Addilynn Hamilton
Honesty Hawkins
Tru Longman
Olive Roehl
Coach Nicole Scott
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 2026-27 BookQuest book list will be announced soon.
BookQuest programs and events are funded by 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.
