2026 Tournament in Pictures

Teams from Hundred Acre Academy, Our Savior’s Christian, Salem Academy, Santiam Christian, and Willamette Valley Christian gathered at Salem Academy on April 10, 2026, to battle for the 3rd-4th and 5th-6th grade division championships in the annual SALT Tournament. Congratulations to every participant for making this year’s event another memorable one, packed with thrilling skirmishes and lasting memories!

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2026 Tournament Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 SALT tournament. Well done!

3rd & 4th Grade Champions

Santiam Christian, Bob da Bananas (Eleanor, Reagan, Lucas, Luke, and Jude)

5th & 6th Grade Champions

Salem Academy, The Bookies (Aiden, Logan, Zeke, and Matt)

Duman Award Winners: William Peak & Ruby Imig

Congratulations to our 2026 Duman Award winners William Peak from Santiam Christian and Ruby Imig from Salem Academy!

We ask for coaches from each school to nominate one student who shines their light brightly for Jesus by always showing kindness, encouragement, and good leadership skills. This year, two students stood out among the nominees to win the Duman Award. This is what William’s and Ruby’s coaches had to say…

William Peak, Santiam Christian

“It is a privilege to nominate William Peak for the Duman Award. Now in his second year participating in SALT, he has shown remarkable dedication and growth. He approaches every book with enthusiasm, reading voraciously and working diligently to study, understand, and retain a significant amount of information. His commitment to reading is evident in his consistent effort.

What makes William’s accomplishments even more meaningful is the progress he has made as a reader. Until 3rd grade, reading was a challenge for him, yet through perseverance and hard work, he has made tremendous strides. Today, he not only reads with confidence but embraces it with eagerness and determination.

William is also a supportive and encouraging teammate. He contributes positively, uplifts those around him, and helps create an environment where others can succeed. His attitude reflects humility, kindness, and a genuine desire to do his best to honor God while helping others do the same.

William exemplifies the perseverance, growth, and integrity that the Duman Award represents. I wholeheartedly recommend him for this honor.”

Ruby Imig, Salem Academy

“I am honored to nominate Ruby Imig for the 2026 Duman award. Ruby embodies all we hope for in our SALT team members. She is an example to her fellow students; gives her all in whatever she does, and she brings joy to every room.

Ruby is relational. She always makes others feel welcome and included whether it is in classroom or out at recess while she is playing football. She is a patient listener while also encouraging others with her fun-loving spirit.

Ruby has grit. Not only does she complete her reading with enthusiasm and determination, but she also comprehends and remembers the book’s content and is an incredible asset to her team. She brings this same grit to every activity whether it is singing in choir, playing soccer, or studying for SALT.

Ruby is full of joy. Beyond her “book smarts” Ruby is truly a light to all those around her. She shines Jesus’ love to others in all she does and never shies away from an opportunity to give the glory to God. It has been a joy to have Ruby in SALT this year!”

The Duman Award was established as a way to honor our beloved teacher Trisha Duman who passed away in 2018. She loved being part of SALT, and her passing left us with a forever hole in our hearts. This is an award we give to honor her memory. Trisha had many amazing characteristics, but she was best known for her kindness.

Partial Book List for 2026-2027

We’re excited to announce the first 8 books on our 2026-2027 reading list:

  • Arin’s Judgement by Paul McCusker
  • Brambleheart by Henry Cole
  • Disaster on the Titanic by Kate Messner (Ranger in Time)
  • Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
  • Holes by Louis Sachar
  • Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
  • Trouble According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
  • Who was Laura Ingalls Wilder by Patricia Brennan Demuth

You can find details about the first 8 books here on the website. Watch for the remaining books to be announced this Fall. The ninth season of SALT will be here before we know it. Happy reading!

Holes

AUTHOR: Louis Sachar

GENRE: Adventure Fiction

SUMMARY: Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.

It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder

AUTHOR: Patricia Brennan Demuth

GENRE: Juvenile Non-Fiction, Biography, History

SUMMARY: Who really lived inside The Little House on the Prairie? Find out in this young biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder! Readers will see just how similar Laura’s true-life story was to her books. Born in 1867 in the “Big Woods” in Wisconsin, Laura experienced both the hardship and the adventures of living on the frontier. It wasn’t until after she was sixty that Laura Ingalls Wilder started chronicling those times, which resulted in 9 Little House books, a hit TV series that ran for 8 years, and her own permanent place as a heroine of the American West.

Trouble According to Humphrey

AUTHOR: Betty G. Birney

GENRE: Juvenile Fiction, Humorous, Animals, Fantasy, School

SUMMARY: Humphrey usually helps solve problems, but now he’s caused a big one: Golden-Miranda gets in trouble when Humphrey is caught outside of his cage on her watch. No one knows about his lock-that-doesn’t-lock and he can’t exactly squeak up on her behalf. While Humphrey manages to show Pay-Attention-Art that math is important outside of class, help Sit-Still-Seth actually sit still, and survive a trip to the vet, can he clear Miranda’s name without giving up his freedom forever?

Kensuke’s Kingdom

AUTHOR: Michael Morpurgo

GENRE: Adventure, School, Historical Fiction, Survival, Friendship

SUMMARY: When Michael is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parent’s yacht, the Peggy Sue, he struggles to survive on his own. But he soon realises there is someone close by, someone who is watching over him and helping him to stay alive. Following a close-run battle between life and death after being stung by a poisonous jelly fish, the mysterious someone — Kensuke — allows Michael into his world and they become friends, teaching and learning from each other, until the day of separation becomes inevitable.