Miss Elkhart County’s Teen of 2026, senior Reyna Hernadez, announced the Books and Crowns Pageant taking place in Logansport. This event will occur on March 1, 2026, for girls interested in competing through storytelling and fashion.
As director of the Books and Crowns Pageant, Hernandez intends for girls from three to 19 years old to participate in a storybook-themed pageant to build confidence, creativity and fun. The competitions include the following: Storybook Walk (dress as your favorite book character), Evening Gown, and other optional events such as Fun Fashion, Essay, and Photogenic.
The summer after freshman year, Hernandez competed in her first pageant and won Teen Miss Cass County. As she continued to compete, Hernandez began working on her Community Service Initiative. Her CSI is Read to Achieve: Empowering Young Minds One Book at a Time. Through classroom visits, she taught lessons on reading and how it serves people for the better. Eventually, she came up with the idea of the Books and Crowns Pageant.
“It focuses on the importance of literacy at a young age as well as helping students find a love and passion for reading,” Hernandez said. “It will help pay for books to gift students, fill up mini libraries around town, and support the youth through books and literacy.”
One of the participants, sophomore Molly Hunnicutt, is supporting Hernandez in her work and the charity the pageant will donate to.
“I think that it’s a great idea to get both people who want to do pageants and people who compete to come together and have fun,” Hunnicutt said. “There’s nothing but positive things that I want to say about this amazing idea.”
Anyone who is interested can find more information on Books and Crowns’ Facebook page and ask any questions.
“One of my biggest goals is for every girl to leave feeling confident, which is why every contestant will receive a crown,” Hernandez said. “I’ve already received a lot of interest, and I’m really excited to create a positive pageant experience for girls in Cass County and across Indiana.”
