Reading Olympics is a literature enrichment program sponsored by School Districts 90 and 97,  Oak Park Public Library, and River Forest Public Library, as well as several private schools.

Oak Park residents can check out the competition books at the OPPL and the RFPL, as well as each school library.  

At the beginning of the school year all 5th grade students are invited to participate in the Reading Olympics program. Students read the books on a list and compete with each other answering questions about the books. The students answer with the name of the book and the name of its author.

School teams are formed (three students each) and the schools meet twice a year for competition. Each competition covers nine books.

The team with the best score at the regional competition has the name of the school and their names engraved on a plaque that can be found at both public libraries.

Regional Competition

Competitions at each individual participating school determine which team will advance to the regional competition and will be held during the week(s) before the regional competition.  

Popular Books from Past Reading Olympics

• "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
• "Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat" by Lynne Jonell
• "The First Rule of Punk: by Celia C. Pérez
• "Flying Solo" by Ralph Fletcher
• "The Great Treehouse War" by Lisa Graff
• "The Magic Thief" by Sarah Prineas
• "Silverwing" by Kenneth Oppel
• "Terrible Two" by Mac Barnett
• "Wild River" by P.J. Petersen
• "Black Storm Comin’" by Diane L. Wilson
• "Dash" by Kirby Larson
• "Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer Holm
• "Fuzzy Mud" by Louis Sachar
• "Eddie Red Undercover Mystery on Museum Mile" by Marcia Wells
• "Insignificant Events of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
• "Out of My Mind" by Sharon Draper
• "Space Case" by Stuart Gibbs

• "The War that Saved My Life" by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley