Once Upon a Time…The Tale of the Blue Book Bees
Once upon a time, in the magical kingdom of Caningeraba, five brave literary adventurers set out on an epic quest through the enchanted World of Books. Their mission? To conquer the legendary Readers Cup competition held on Tuesday 26 May 2026 at Hillcrest Christian College and perhaps achieve the impossible: a historic hat trick victory after Caningeraba's triumphs in both 2024 and 2025.
Together they became known as The Blue Book Bees, a shortened version of an extraordinarily alliterative title so complicated and tongue-twisting that even the wisest librarians could not say it three times fast. Speaking of wise librarians, a special mention goes to our very own Mrs Grant for all the magic she brings. We are eternally grateful to have her on our team.
Leading the fellowship was Elki, a dedicated Year 6 literary warrior and veteran of last year's campaign. Armed with lightning-fast scribing powers and an encyclopaedic knowledge of The Year We Escaped, Elki guided the team through the dangerous terrain of historical fiction with wisdom far beyond her years.
Beside her stood Jazmin, calm under pressure and impossibly chill even in the fiercest battle rounds. A returning Year 6 champion, Jazmin could transform acronyms into answers with astonishing speed, especially when navigating the strange and twisty tunnels of Down the Plot Hole.
Then there was Hannah, whose cheerful spirit and tireless work ethic powered the team through many practice sessions. Although colour interpretations occasionally sparked spirited debate, Hannah's mastery of Childish, with it's plasticine and potholes made her an essential member of the quest.
Travelling closely behind the senior members was Edie, a thoughtful Year 5 apprentice adventurer who grew in confidence by the hour. Edie possessed an extraordinary ability to recall visual details from the graphic novel Inked, bringing scenes and characters back to life with dazzling precision.
Finally came Harry, the team's serious strategist and only brave boy amongst the fellowship. Harry ruled the realm of science fiction and fantasy with unmatched expertise, especially when discussing We Do Not Welcome Your 10-Year-Old Overlord and the unforgettable Aster.
For countless weeks, the Blue Book Bees journeyed through five extraordinary literary lands:
- They tumbled through the mysterious and mind-bending world of Down the Plot Hole.
- They crossed the emotional and courageous landscape of The Year We Escaped, following a family fleeing war in search of safety and hope.
- They explored the imaginative and heartfelt creativity of Childish being careful not to get on the wrong side of the pot holes or plasticine.
- They battled through the strange and unusual universe of We Do Not Welcome Your 10-Year-Old Overlord.
- And they uncovered the magical, visual storytelling hidden within eight tentacles in Inked.
Along the way, the team trained tirelessly each week, preparing mock comprehension questions and sharpening their recall skills for the great competition ahead. When competition day finally arrived, the atmosphere buzzed with suspense, excitement and just a slight sugar rush. Their teacher may have even supplied them with the Nerds lollies firmly believing they increased brainpower, a method she tested during her university days but it was the blackberries that became the official healthy snack of the campaign in honour of the team's favourite story, The Year We Escaped.
The Readers Cup battlefield was fierce. Twenty-one talented Year 5/6 teams from many of the Gold Coast's strongest schools gathered to compete in one of Queensland's most competitive regional divisions. Midway through the event, the progressive scores were revealed… and the Blue Book Bees were sitting inside the Top 3!
The room erupted with excitement. Hearts raced. Answers flew onto pages. Lollies disappeared at alarming speeds.
In the end, after an incredible display of teamwork, memory and composure under pressure, the Blue Book Bees finished in a highly respectable 4th place. While the fairy tale ending of a third consecutive title was not to be, the team made Caningeraba, their parents, teachers and themselves immensely proud.
Congratulations must also go to all participating schools, particularly All Saints Anglican College for winning the competition and Hillcrest Christian College for finishing runners-up.
And because every great tale deserves fascinating statistics, Readers Cup once again delivered!
This year an astonishing 911 teams registered across Queensland:
- 492 teams in the Year 5/6 division
- 246 teams in the Year 7/8 division
- 173 teams in the Year 9/10 division
Together, an incredible 4,363 readers read a combined total of 17,888 books.
That may just be the greatest victory for literacy imaginable.
But wait… the adventure was not over yet.
In a shocking plot twist worthy of one of the competition novels, the evening included the very first Teacher/Parent Readers Cup Challenge. Two brave adults from each school were summoned to the stage without warning. Representing Caningeraba, Mrs Dlugosz heroically wrangled the unsuspecting Oneika (Harry's mum) into battle.
The dynamic duo stunned themselves by answering every question flawlessly, even conquering the dreaded joke round. Alas, victory slipped through their fingers when they failed to identify the judge's name, narrowly missing out on the chocolate prize. The Blue Book Bees were highly impressed with the oldies' efforts, especially as it was past everyone's bedtime.
Although this story did not end with a trophy, the Blue Book Bees gained something far more valuable: unforgettable memories, endless laughter and a shared love of reading.
Throughout the journey, the team often discussed how frustrating disappointing book endings can be. So naturally, plans are already underway for the group to reunite one day and write their own epic novel, one with the most extraordinary ending imaginable.
And for this remarkable team, it feels certain that this is not the end of their story…
…it is only the beginning.