On March 5, LM’s Reading Olympics team, the Smart Cookies, competed at the Montgomery County Reading Olympics over Zoom. They honed their skills over the course of the school year: reading the requested books, practicing questions, and studying all the small details. Their hard work and efforts paid off at the end of the competition, when the team was awarded the blue ribbon, the highest distinction awarded in the Reading Olympics.
The Reading Olympics team was tasked with reading 25 books, per the official 2025-2026 list, in order to prepare for the competition. Their knowledge of these books was showcased and tested during the competition, where LM faced off against other local schools to answer trivia questions about the books. Out of the selection, there were a few that came to become general favorites of the team. Team Officer Sonia Bonita ’27 included, “Some of the books that our members read most frequently included Dawn, The Song of Achilles, Cinder, The Hate You Give, and The Sun is Also a Star.” These, among others on the extensive list, became fan favorites and made the team well-versed in many books.
To ensure all books would be covered, the Smart Cookies strategised a plan: “We split up the books to make sure that each one has been read by at least two, if not more members of our team,” team Officer Sarah Whalen ’27 explained. The team also held monthly meetings to update progress and check in with each other. A spreadsheet was also shared with members to update their own reading as they continued. As the competition approached, the team quizzed themselves with practice questions and reviewed the contents of the books.
The Smart Cookies had prepared hard for their competition and planned customized T-shirts, courtesy of school librarian Kerry Smith. The convenience of the competition being held on Zoom increased accessibility, leading to a larger general turnout. LM competed against several public and private schools including Dock Mennonite Academy, Harriton High School, and Hatboro Horsham High School.
The LM team returned from the competition successful, winning the top honor of the blue ribbon. They’ve achieved impressive levels of success among local Reading Olympics chapters, especially as the club was founded fairly recently. . Team Officer Katie Potts-Drew ’26 said, “Winning the highest prize felt amazing. We have been working towards that since the club first started at LM a few years ago, and to finally be able to get it done felt great.” Whalen added, “Winning the highest ribbon possible was very exciting because we made the threshold by only a few points, so it was a very entertaining competition. As I have been a member of the past two years’ teams, which were not very successful, it was amazing to be part of such a change.” The team won fifty out of the sixty total points available, meaning they made the minimum to qualify for the blue ribbon by only a few points, which made for an engaging tournament and an exciting competition overall. They hope to continue this precedent of success at next year’s Reading Olympics.
