This morning, Scholastic announced the top participants in the 2019 Scholastic Read-a-Palooza Summer Reading Challenge, our free, online summer reading program designed to help prevent the effects of the summer slide—the learning losses that can occur during the summer months.
The top school in each state, U.S. territory, and Washington, D.C. with the most minutes read each earned the title of “Best in State,” and the top 10 public libraries and top community-based partner organizations overall that logged the most minutes in the Challenge each earned special recognition. (You can check out that full list of winners below!) Each winner will receive a commemorative plaque and celebration kit in recognition of their summer reading achievements, and will also be featured in the 2020 Scholastic Book of World Records.
Best in State Schools:
- Alabama: Mt. Carmel Elementary, Huntsville, 37,491 minutes
- Alaska: North Pole Elementary School, North Pole, 32,352 minutes
- Arizona: American Leadership Academy - Ironwood Elementary, Queen Creek, 681,300 minutes
- Arkansas: The New School, Fayetteville, 117,018 minutes
- California: Warm Springs Elementary School, Fremont, 1,786,885 minutes
- Colorado: Prospect Ridge Academy, Broomfield, 804,161 minutes
- Connecticut: Scotland Elementary School, Scotland, 177,451 minutes
- Delaware: Etta J. Wilson Elementary School, Newark, 317,787 minutes
- District of Columbia: Holy Trinity School, Washington, D.C., 19,372 minutes
- Florida: Liberty Park Elementary School, Greenacres, 2,697,828 minutes
- Georgia: Savannah Country Day Lower School, Savannah, 400,293 minutes
- Hawaii: Kanoelani Elementary School, Waipahu, 36,043 minutes
- Idaho: Compass Public Charter School, Meridian, 161,000 minutes
- Illinois: Walnut Trails Elementary School, Shorewood, 691,523 minutes
- Indiana: Allisonville Elementary School, Indianapolis, 383,854 minutes
- Iowa: Clayton Ridge Elementary School, Garnavillo, 312,365 minutes
- Kansas: St. Thomas Aquinas School, Wichita, 180,580 minutes
- Kentucky: Veterans Park Elementary, Lexington, 963,799 minutes
- Louisiana: Lisa Park Elementary School, Houma, 1,257,472 minutes
- Maine: Buxton Center Elementary School, Buxton, 373,232 minutes
- Maryland: Bradley Hills Elementary School, Bethesda, 1,105,115 minutes
- Massachusetts: James M. Quinn Elementary School, North Dartmouth, 1,357,407 minutes
- Michigan: St. Clair Middle School, St. Clair, 312,631 minutes
- Minnesota: Maranatha Christian Academy, Brooklyn Park, 586,609 minutes
- Mississippi: Annunciation Catholic School, Columbus, 719,549 minutes
- Missouri: Murphy Elementary School, High Ridge, 98,684 minutes
- Montana: Bonner K-8 School, Bonner, 23,938 minutes
- Nebraska: Stuart Elementary School, Stuart, 789,612 minutes
- Nevada: Jan Jones Blackhurst Elementary School, Las Vegas, 226,638 minutes
- New Hampshire: Rochester Middle School, Rochester, 582,634 minutes
- New Jersey: Newell Elementary School, Allentown, 1,507,274 minutes
- New Mexico: Chamisa Elementary, White Rock, 306,104 minutes
- New York: Village Elementary School, Hilton, 784,039 minutes
- North Carolina: A.B. Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary School, Raleigh, 1,217,593 minutes
- North Dakota: Erik Ramstad Middle School, Minot, 263,822 minutes
- Ohio: Ledgeview Elementary School, Macedonia, 201,918 minutes
- Oklahoma: Colcord Public School, Colcord, 116,049 minutes
- Oregon: Holy Cross Catholic School, Portland, 486,937 minutes
- Pennsylvania: Skippack Elementary School, Collegeville, 1,014,454 minutes
- Rhode Island: North Smithfield Elementary School, North Smithfield, 281,520 minutes
- South Carolina: Oakridge Elementary School, Clover, 700,116 minutes
- South Dakota: Aberdeen Christian School, Aberdeen, 161,122 minutes
- Tennessee: Crosswind Elementary School, Collierville, 937,598 minutes
- Texas: Eastwood Knolls International School, El Paso, 3,627,215 minutes
- Utah: Freedom Academy, Provo, 507,719 minutes
- Vermont: Orwell Village School, Orwell, 84,898 minutes
- Virginia: Ashburn Elementary School, Ashburn, 414,448 minutes
- Washington: Sunrise Elementary School, Spokane Valley, 1,027,661 minutes
- West Virginia: St. Francis Central Catholic School, Morgantown, 718,377 minutes
- Wisconsin: Riverdale Elementary-Middle School, Muscoda, 449,011 minutes
- Wyoming: Casper Classical Academy, Casper, 46,342 minutes
U.S. Territories:
- Northern Mariana Islands: Saipan Community School, Saipan, 627 minutes
- Puerto Rico: Robinson School, San Juan, 19,058 minutes
- U.S. Virgin Islands: Joseph Gomez Elementary School, St. Thomas, 19,212 minutes
Top 10 Public Libraries and Community Partner Organizations:
- Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library, Edinburg, TX, 435,369 minutes
- Pickford Community Library, Pickford, MI, 381,097 minutes
- Albia Public Library, Albia, IA, 225,837 minutes
- Okeechobee County Library, Okeechobee, FL, 117,022 minutes
- Choteau/Teton Public Library, Choteau, MT, 62,373 minutes
- Gibbon Public Library, Gibbon, NE, 24,733 minutes
- Community Progress Council Home Base Program, York, PA, 21,000 minutes
- Girl Scouts Troop 2241, Turlock, CA, 14,229 minutes
- Moravia Public Library, Moravia, IA, 13,795 minutes
- Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library, Rochester, MA, 13,698 minutes
Along with logging 109,334,297 minutes this year, kids helped donate over 200,000 copies of brand new children's books to kids without access across the country. Donated by Scholastic and distributed by United Way, kids reached three critical minute milestones at 25, 50, and 100 million minutes over the course of the 18 weeks to unlock these corporate donations.
In addition, thanks to over one hundred Scholastic Read-a-Palooza Summer Reading Celebrations at retailers and public libraries from June through September, families donated over 10,000 new or lightly-used books through Scholastic Read-a-Palooza Summer Reading Give Back book drives to local communities.
Congratulations to all the top participants, and everyone who entered minutes in this year's Challenge – you all helped make a huge difference!
