Finalists Chosen for Inaugural U.S. Bananagrams Challenge

BananagramsChallengeTwelve students are headed to the live Grand Final of the inaugural U.S. Bananagrams Challenge in Rhode Island on April 9 to be crowned as the first-ever “Top Banana.” The students were selected from more than 10,000 other fourth through sixth graders throughout New England.

The finalists will compete against each other in rounds of Bananagrams, and the overall winner will be presented with a specially-designed trophy. The winner will also receive $1,000 for his or her school by Rena Nathanson, inventor of the game. Nathanson will also take part in a live Q&A session with the kids. The final will be hosted by local personality Ace Aceto, who will also present all finalists with an exclusive Bananagrams goody bag.

As part of its mission to get children playing with words and to help celebrate the company’s 10th Bananaversary, Bananagrams created the “Wild With Words” challenge to help boost vocabulary and spelling skills in classrooms and after-school programs.  Click here to view the complete list of finalists.

The complete lists of finalists is:

  • Keely Cahoon, 5th Grade, Ralph D. Butler Elementary School, Avon, MA
  • Grant Culton, 4th Grade, Hampden Meadows School, Barrington, RI
  • Braedan Curran, 5th Grade, E. G. Molin Upper Elementary School, Newburyport, MA
  • Hope Gee, 6th Grade, Archie R. Cole Middle School, East Greenwich, RI
  • Connor Gonyea, 6th Grade, Trinity Catholic Academy, Southbridge, MA
  • Sebastien Martinez, 4th Grade, Yarmouth Elementary School, Yarmouth, ME
  • Jay Nagpaul, 6th Grade, Worcester Academy, Worcester, MA
  • Julia Pulley, 6th Grade, Perry Hill School, Shelton, CT
  • Ania Ricci, 5th Grade, Kingston Intermediate School, Kingston, MA
  • Julia Shellard, 5th Grade, Oak Lawn Elementary, Cranston, RI
  • Kaede Shimamura, 4th Grade, Lyndon Town School, Lyndon, VT
  • Jaida Tillinghast, 4th Grade, George J Peters, Cranston, RI

About the author

Maddie Michalik

Maddie Michalik

Maddie Michalik was the Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book from 2020-2022. She was also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider.

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