Duman Award Winner: Gracie

Congratulations to our 2023 Duman Award winner, Gracie from Willamette Valley Christian School!

Each year we ask SALT coaches from participating schools to nominate one student they feel is a behind-the-scenes hero and shows extraordinary kindness to their teammates. This year’s Duman Award winner stood out among the nominees. Here is what Gracie’s coach had to say about her…

“Since the beginning of the school year, Gracie has always been a reader. When I was introducing SALT to our 3rd Grade class, she was one of the first to sign up. Gracie has enthusiastically read nearly all of the SALT books for this year. Her enthusiasm has encouraged others to read more in order to keep up with her. This is just one of the ways that Gracie shows leadership in her quiet, humble manner.”

The Duman Award was established as a way to honor our beloved teacher Trisha Duman who passed away in 2018. Trisha was a huge supporter of SALT and served on our board. She was definitely one of the behind-the-scenes heroes for us as we were getting the program up and running. Trisha had many amazing characteristics, but she was best known for her kindness.

Practice Skirmish Questions Are Available

Practice skirmish questions have been posted! Coaches can find the practice questions on our Resources page. Viewing, downloading, and printing these PDFs requires your access password. Please remember that password access and practice questions are for COACH USE ONLY. If you have forgotten your access password, please email Jeneé Orso and it will be sent to you as soon as possible. The all-school tournament on Friday, May 5, 2023, is almost here. Keep practicing!

Book List for 2022-2023

We are excited to announce the official reading list for 2022-2023. Brief details for each of the 20 books can be found here on the website. 3rd-4th Grade Division will read 12 of the books, 5th-6th will read 16, and 7th-8th will read 8 books. Please see each division’s complete list below:

3RD-4TH GRADE DIVISION

  • A Wolf Named Wander Rosanne Parry
  • Book of Genesis NIV Bible (Chapters 1-25)
  • Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
  • Long Road to Freedom (Ranger in Time) by Kate Messner
  • Mission Unstoppable (The Genius Files) by Dan Gutman
  • Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
  • Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry
  • The BFG by Roald Dahl
  • The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis
  • The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
  • The Vanishings (Left Behind: The Kids) by Jerry B. Jenkins & Tim LaHaye
  • The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

5TH-6TH GRADE DIVISION

  • A Wolf Named Wander Rosanne Parry
  • Book of Genesis NIV Bible (Chapters 1-25)
  • Britfield and the Rise of the Lion by C.R. Stewart
  • Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
  • Long Road to Freedom (Ranger in Time) by Kate Messner
  • Mission Unstoppable (The Genius Files) by Dan Gutman
  • Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
  • Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry
  • Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet
  • The BFG by Roald Dahl
  • The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis
  • The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
  • The Prophet of Yonwood (The City of Ember) by Jeanne DuPrau
  • The Vanishings (Left Behind: The Kids) by Jerry B. Jenkins & Tim LaHaye
  • The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
  • Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

7TH-8TH GRADE DIVISION

  • Book of Genesis NIV Bible (Chapters 1-25)
  • George Washington, Spymaster by Thomas B. Allen
  • Holes by Louis Sacher
  • Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet
  • The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
  • The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
  • The Prophet of Yonwood (The City of Ember) by Jeanne DuPrau

Ranger in Time: Long Road to Freedom

AUTHOR: Kate Messner

GENRE: Adventure Fiction

SUMMARY: Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever, is back for the third book in Kate Messner’s new chapter book series. This time, he helps two kids navigate the Underground Railroad! Ranger is a time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training. In this adventure, he goes to a Maryland plantation during the days of American slavery, where he meets a young girl named Sarah. When she learns that the owner has plans to sell her little brother, Jesse, to a plantation in the Deep South, it means they could be separated forever. Sarah takes their future into her own hands and decides there’s only one way to run — north.

Left Behind: The Kids, The Vanishings

AUTHOR: Jerry B. Jenkins & Tim LaHaye

GENRE: Fiction

SUMMARY: In one shocking moment millions around the globe disappear. Those left behind face an uncertain future—especially four kids who now find themselves alone. As the kids search for help and for answers, they are told the truth behind the disappearances. But are they ready to believe it? Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye present the Rapture and Tribulation through the eyes of four young friends—Judd, Vici, Lionel, and Ryan. As the world falls in around them, they band together to find faith and fight the evil forces that threaten their lives.

The One and Only Bob

AUTHOR: Katherine Applegate

GENRE: Fiction

SUMMARY: Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.

Charlotte’s Web

AUTHOR: E.B. White

GENRE: Fiction

SUMMARY: Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte’s Web, high up in Zuckerman’s barn. Charlotte’s spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur’s life when he was born the runt of his litter. E. B. White’s Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.

The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable

AUTHOR: Dan Gutman

GENRE: Adventure Fiction

SUMMARY: The most exciting road trip in history begins! In this action-packed, New York Times bestselling adventure, twelve-year-old twins Coke and Pepsi McDonald embark on a family vacation you’ll have to read to believe.

With the real-kid humor that has earned Dan Gutman millions of fans around the world, and featuring weird-but-true American tourist destinations, The Genius Files is a one-of-a-kind mix of geography and fun. As Coke and Pepsi dodge nefarious villains from the Pez museum in California all the way to the Infinity Room in Wisconsin, black-and-white photographs and maps put young readers right into the action.

Britfield & the Rise of the Lion

AUTHOR: C.R. Stewart

GENRE: Adventure Fiction

SUMMARY: Now in France six months later, Tom and Sarah are trapped on an island fortress, facing an entirely new enemy: a nefarious and clandestine group. Searching for the truth, Tom and Sarah must navigate the streets of Paris, Cathédrale Notre-Dame, and the Eiffel Tower, chased by an assassin determined to remove any potential threat to the British throne.

Aided by old friends and new allies, Tom and Sarah’s fast-paced adventure is filled with twists and turns, unexpected betrayals, and life-changing revelations. An interactive world of mystery and adventure, culture and education, the Britfield series is about friendship, family, loyalty, and courage, with accurate geography and history interwoven throughout each exciting story.