A wide knowledge of children’s literature and split-second timing made a team of 12 and 13-year-olds from Dunblane high school, Scotland, national winners of the Kids’ Lit Quiz.
The quiz, sponsored by The TES, attracted more than 120 schools fielding nearly 170 teams from 10 regions. In all, more than 700 Year 7 and 8 pupils competed.
Anne Gillies, an English teacher at Dunblane, said the quiz was excellent at encouraging children to read beyond the narrow confines of the curriculum.
The children were supported by a full-time librarian, Shona Sinclair, who entered the school. She encouraged them to read across genres through their “worlds of reading programme”.
Through this scheme they are given awards for reading target numbers of books in each of the “worlds” including historical, fantasy and crime as a way of widening literary tastes.
Andrew Snedden, 12, a member of the winning team, said it had been great for bringing readers together: “It’s such fun, it makes you realise how much you know, but also makes you want to go on and read other things.”
Gosforth Central middle school, Newcastle, were runners-up and Brynhyfryd school, north Wales, came third.
