The 2025 Tournament of the Readers wrapped up with an exciting finale in the Haines School this week. The Dog Eared Pages – composed of Lila Tartleton, Kayci Ferrin and Yarona Bochart-Jacobson – earned First Place after their first loss placed them in the lower bracket. They fought their way back up to win against the undefeated Reader Defeaters – Piper Carlson, Parker Baumgartner, Leon Rogers and Jayson Powlison – Putting the Reader Defeaters in second place. In their first year of competition, The Fire Readers—featuring Oliver Billings, Connor Dryden, Charlie Katzeek and Lacey Williams—claimed a well-deserved third place.
This year, nine teams of 35 students participated, reading eight books and answering an impressive 272 questions. It has been a joy to organize and watch these young readers in action. Beyond the love of books, the competition emphasizes teamwork, sportsmanship, and—most importantly—makes reading even more fun!
A heartfelt thank you to my dear friends who help make this event possible. I’m deeply grateful for the continued support from volunteers Holly Davis and Karen Garcia. Their dedication to reading—and the question-writing process—has been truly phenomenal. I also want to thank Willa Stuart, Colin Aldassy, Kaylah Cone and Maddox Rogers for stepping up to serve as our Quizzards. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to Norm and Suzanne Smith for their generous cash donation for the top three teams. Their contribution provides an incentive to make the students’ hard work even more rewarding.
Leigh Horner, Haines School Librarian