The BFG

AUTHOR: Roald Dahl

GENRE: Fantasy Fiction

SUMMARY: The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that the giants are flush-bunking off to England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

The Holy Bible: Book of Genesis

AUTHOR: Moses

GENRE: Religious Text

SUMMARY: The book of Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and opens with one of the most famous first sentences of any literary work: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” It’s where we find the famous stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the ark, Abraham and Isaac, and a well-dressed dreamer named Joseph.

On its own, the book of Genesis reads like a string of epic stories: a semi-tragic saga of a world that just keeps going wrong, despite its Creator’s intentions. But Genesis isn’t a stand-alone book. It’s the first installment of Israel’s origin story—the history of how the nation of Israel got its population, its land, and its religion. It’s also the story of the promises God made to humans—promises that God begins to carry out through the rest of the Bible.

In fact, if the main thrust of Genesis were summed up in one verse, it would be these words that God said to Abraham:

“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:7, NIV

Duman Award Winner: Annabelle Bradley

Congratulations to our 2022 Duman Award winner, Annabelle Bradley from Western 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 Annabelle’s coach had to say about her…

“Throughout the year Annabelle has shown great perseverance, creativity, and a good attitude. She has demonstrated what it looks like to be a contributing member of a team by her diligence in handling the content of the books she was responsible to read. Her quality work has been an excellent example for the rest of her team and inspiring for other members of the SALT teams. She has answered more questions from the book of James than any other student at our school. Along with her gentle, quiet spirit, Annabelle’s character has been noteworthy and honoring to the Lord.”

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.

2022 Tournament Winners

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2022 SALT tournament!

3rd & 4th Grade Champions

Salem Academy Mermaids (Angelo, Lyllian, Mrs. Vaubel, and Shane — Piper not pictured)

5th & 6th Grade Champions

Salem Academy Fantastic 4 (Noah, Cooper, Isabella, and Kennedy)

7th & 8th Grade Champions

Salem Academy Saltines (Carter, Stella, Emily, Kaely, and Madi)

Last Book Added for 7th-8th Grade

We have added Chasing Lincoln’s Killer as the last book for the 7th-8th Grade division. It is a fast-paced non-fiction thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia. Please see the updated 7th-8th Grade division list below:

7TH-8TH GRADE DIVISION

  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (This edition only: ISBN 978-0-141-32107-3)
  • Book of James NIV Bible
  • Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson
  • The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
  • The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
  • The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
  • What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World by Henry Clark