Lovell Middle School team places fifth at regional contest

The Lovell Middle School Challenge of the Books team competed at the regional contest in Basin on February 24, placing fifth out of six teams competing.

Competing for LMS were the Plot Twisters team of Kylie Nicholls, Nellie Guccion, Chloe Asay, Paige Asay, Emily Sanders and Oakley Abraham.

“The girls are all seventh graders and plan to try it again next year,” library paraprofessional Gwen Walker said, adding that Nicholls was the team captain.

Cody won the contest with 313 points, followed by Powell with 308 points, Rocky Mountain 274 points, Burlington 251, Lovell 226 and Greybull 195.

In Challenge of the Books, team members must recall plot details from books they have read in preparation for the contest.

“The Challenge of the Books program has been a foundational enrichment activity for more than two decades at Lovell Middle School, offering students far more than an opportunity to showcase their reading skills and achievements,” sponsor and library para Danielle Henley said. “Through engaging literacy challenges, students strengthen essential comprehension skills while also building social skills as they collaborate in teams and support one another. The program connects the school with the wider community by involving local volunteers, parents and many schools in Big Horn County who help celebrate and support our groups each year.

“Aligned with classroom standards, the competition reinforces academic goals while giving students a chance to explore leadership roles, express creativity and participate in meaningful extracurricular activities. Together, these experiences help students grow as confident learners and active contributors to a vibrant reading culture. Some of my favorite parts of the season are making memoires exploring new books and having fun along the way.”