Hartwood & Fairview Teams Top County Book Competition

Two teams of Fox Chapel Area School District students placed first and second as part of the 2025 Children’s Choice Awards competition, sponsored by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and the Allegheny County Library Association. The Hartwood Elementary School team of fifth-graders McKenna Anderson and Elizabeth Moudry and fourth-graders Eli Holmes and Henry Smith won first place in the competition. The team of Fairview Elementary School fifth-graders Samuel Barritt, Asya Isbiliroglu, and Nolan Riordan placed second.

The event was held April 9 at Commonwealth Charter Academy in Homestead. Students were asked to read novels and then participate in a trivia event where they answered questions about the books. In addition to the competition, the students also heard a keynote from author Matthew Holm who created (with his sister, Jennifer Holm) a number of graphic novels.  hey also attended a session with a local graphic artist/storyteller Joe Mruk. The day concluded with a live concert by local duo Josh and Gab, who provided a kindness and bullying awareness musical comedy program.

Approximately 65 students in grades three-six from Allegheny and Washington counties participated in the Children’s Choice Awards event.