Queen Anne Elementary team wins the 30th annual Global Reading Challenge City Final
release date: April 4, 2025
On the evening of Wednesday, April 2, after 60 tense minutes of competition in front of a cheering crowd in the Central Library auditorium, the Library Lynx team from Queen Anne Elementary won the title of 2025 Global Reading Challenge city champion.
Wearing orange headbands and purple T-shirts, the fourth and fifth graders competed against 10 other teams by answering rounds of trivia questions about this year’s Global Reading Challenge books. Three other teams tied for second place: Genesee Hill Elementary's Book Bandits, Kimball Elementary's The Purple Banana Slugs and Orca Elementary’s The Intelligent Foxes.
“As always, the Global Reading Challenge All City Final was a beautiful celebration of reading and teamwork,” said Chief Librarian Tom Fay. “We extend congratulations to Queen Anne Elementary’s team and all the students who participated in the program this year. By building literacy skills and a joy of reading, they are all winners. We are also grateful to Seattle Public Schools teachers, librarians, and administrators, and to The Seattle Public Library Foundation for their strong support of this program.”
“At a time when literacy rates are declining, the Global Reading Challenge is more important than ever,” said Brian Lawrence, CEO of The Seattle Public Library Foundation. “We have been delighted to support a program that’s been making a difference for kids for 30 years.”
A collaboration between The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Public Schools, the Global Reading Challenge promotes recreational reading at a pivotal elementary school stage when many students -- especially boys -- start to lose interest in reading.
This school year, 528 teams of more than 3,500 fourth and fifth graders in 72 SPS elementary schools worked with school librarians and teachers to form Global Reading Challenge teams. Teams that won their school’s competition progressed to the semi-final round, with 11 teams progressing to the City Final.
Global Reading Challenge books are chosen because they are rich, low-barrier books that reflect diverse cultural communities and have strong appeal to all kids. This year’s selection includes three graphic novels. All children who participate have access to the selected books and a chance to read for fun and discuss the books with their peers. They learn about conflict resolution, group dynamics, and resiliency in the face of disappointment.
Eighteen talks with Global Reading Challenge authors were also held at schools that receive full or partial funding through Title 1.
Global Reading Challenge finalist teams
- Broadview-Thomson K-8’s Depressing Unicorns
- Cascadia Elementary’s mAGnificent Muffins
- Cedar Park Elementary’s Sigma Peppa Pigs
- Dunlap Elementary’s Willy Wonka
- Genesee Hill Elementary’s Book Bandits
- Kimball Elementary’s The Purple Banana Slugs
- John Muir Elementary’s Legends of Books
- Lafayette Elementary’s Confidential
- Orca Elementary’s The Intelligent Foxes
- Queen Anne Elementary’s Library Lynx
- Rising Star Elementary’s Silver Hawks
MORE INFORMATION
The Global Reading Challenge, now in its 30th year, is a reading incentive program for fourth and fifth graders enrolled in Seattle Public Schools. The Global Reading Challenge is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation, the Loeb Family Charitable Foundations, the Northwest Literacy Foundation and Pemco Insurance.
The Library believes that the power of knowledge improves people's lives. We promote literacy and a love of reading as we bring people, information, and ideas together to enrich lives and empower community. Find more events at www.spl.org/Calendar.
Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at www.spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information.