The Reader’s Guide, a new and used bookstore in West Salem, stocks several SALT titles for purchase. Reader’s Guide is located at 735 Edgewater Street NW. Please support this wonderful community resource. You can find more information on their Facebook page here.
We’re excited to announce that the 2025 Salem Area Literature Tournament will be held at Salem Academy on Friday, April 11, 2025. Get details about the SALT tournament here. Remember to check the SALT website throughout the year for other important announcements and resource updates.
We’re happy to announce the official SALT reading list for the 2024-2025 school year. Brief book details can be found here on the website. The 3rd-4th Grade Division will read 12 books and the 5th-6th Grade Division will read 16 books. Please see each division’s complete list below:
3RD-4TH GRADE DIVISION:
5TH-6TH GRADE DIVISION:
AUTHOR: Samantha Seiple
GENRE: Nonfiction, Biography, Adventure
SUMMARY: Byrd & Igloo is the first narrative nonfiction book to tell the daring adventures of legendary polar explorer and aviator Richard Byrd and his lovable dog explorer, Igloo. Byrd is known for being the first to fly a plane over the North and South Poles, while Igloo is famous for being the only dog to explore both the North and South Poles. The adventures of Byrd and Igloo opened the door for science and research in the Antarctic. Featuring direct quotes from letters, diaries and interviews, newspaper clippings, expedition records, maps, charts, as well as never-before-seen photos, it will give the complete story of the explorers’ journey. Though rooted in history with evidence from many museums and research centers, Byrd & Igloo will be exciting in tone, making it accessible and interesting for young readers.
AUTHOR: Andrew Peterson
GENRE: Fantasy, Fiction, Christian
SUMMARY: Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, and their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera. Andrew Peterson spins a quirky and riveting tale of the Igibys’ extraordinary journey from Glipwood’s Dragon Day Festival and a secret hidden in the Books and Crannies Bookstore, past the terrifying Black Carriage, clutches of the horned hounds and loathsome toothy cows surrounding AnkleJelly Manor, through the Glipwood Forest and mysterious treehouse of Peet the Sock Man (known for a little softshoe and wearing tattered socks on his hands and arms), to the very edge of the Ice Prairies.
AUTHOR: Deron Hicks
GENRE: Mystery, Adventure, Fiction
SUMMARY: Arthur, the son of an art conservator, and his friend Camille suspect that plans are afoot to steal some of the most important portraits in the entire world. The problem is that no one believes them.
AUTHOR: Cressida Cowell
GENRE: Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Humor
SUMMARY: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the quiet and thoughtful son of the Chief of the Hairy Hooligans, tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan by catching and training a dragon. Can Hiccup do it without being torn limb from limb? Join his adventures and misadventures as he finds a new way to train dragons —and becomes a hero.
AUTHOR: Kirkpatrick Hill
GENRE: Historical Fiction
SUMMARY: Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn’t have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. After all, they never do. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote, Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard. But Miss Agnes is different—she doesn’t get frustrated with her students, and she throws away old textbooks and reads Robin Hood instead! For the first time, Fred and her classmates begin to enjoy their lessons and learn to read and write—but will Miss Agnes be like all the rest and leave as quickly as she came?
AUTHOR: Gordon Korman
GENRE: Fiction
SUMMARY: Cameron Boxer is very happy to spend his life avoiding homework, hanging out with his friends, and gaming for hours in his basement. It’s not too hard for him to get away with it, until he gets so caught up in one game that he almost lets his house burn down around him. Oops. It’s time for some serious damage control, so Cameron and his friends invent a fake school club that will make it seem like they’re doing good deeds instead of slacking off. The problem? Some kids think the club is real, and Cameron is stuck being president. Soon Cameron is part of a mission to save a beaver named Elvis from certain extinction. Along the way, he makes some new friends, and some powerful new enemies. The guy who never cared about anything is now at the center of everything, and it’s going to take all his slacker skills to win this round.
AUTHOR: Kenneth Grahame
GENRE: Fiction, Fantasy
SUMMARY: In Kenneth Grahame’s timeless classic, readers are invited into a charming woodland world where the true essence of friendship and adventure come alive. At the heart of the story are Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger, each distinct in character yet bound by their camaraderie and adventures. From the serene riverbanks to the tumultuous escapades with motorcars, Grahame masterfully intertwines themes of loyalty, bravery, and the simple pleasures of life. Join these lovable creatures on their journey and discover the magic of nature, companionship, and the joy of living life to its fullest.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to differences in multiple editions of this book, please read the Great Illustrated Classics edition only: ISBN 0866119906.