LIBERTY, NY — Liberty Middle School (LMS) is again participating in the READBowl competition, but this year it has expanded schoolwide.

READBowl is a global reading competition created by former NFL player and children’s book author Malcolm Mitchell to encourage students to build strong reading habits while fostering school spirit and collaboration.

Last year, the competition was just for sixth-graders at LMS, but it has expanded to all grades for 2026.

The local competition again features a Harry Potter theme. The middle school students were sorted into the four Hogwarts houses by grade. Each grade was assigned to a house via a random drawing during a school assembly on January 9. Teachers were dressed as Harry Potter characters as the sorting was done and announced.

The format creates an engaging, in-school reading competition where students earn minutes for their house through reading, sixth-grade ELA teacher and READBowl organizer Melissa Murphy said. “All reading counts,” she said. “Books, magazines, audiobooks, read-aloud, instructions, etc.”

The students say the format makes it fun and educational.

“It pushes me to read more and that we can compete as a grade against the other grades,” said seventh-grader Denali Owens, who also participated last year. “I also like the Harry Potter theme, and we are the best team: Gryffindor!” 

The competition officially kicked off Monday, January 12, and will run through Super Bowl Sunday, February 8. Fifth graders will compete in the elementary conference, with sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students competing in the middle school conference.

For more information on READ Bowl, visit www.readwithmalcolm.com/readbowl/.