Release Date : 19 Apr 2014
The Kids' Lit Quiz, an internationally acclaimed literature competition dubbed the 'Olympic Games of reading', made its Southeast Asian debut in Singapore today at the National Library Building. Organised by the National Library Board (NLB) under its Read! Singapore initiative, today's competition saw 20 teams from 15 schools competing at the National Finals.
80 students aged 10 to 13 faced off in an intense literary battle today, answering 100 questions from different categories such as Adventure, Cities and Pirates, as well as a Visual category. Besides referencing literary classics and contemporary novels, questions were also drawn from books relating to popular culture, movies and even comics.
Clementi Primary School (Team 2) emerged as the champions of the National Finals today, with two teams from St. Hilda's Primary School taking the first runner-up and second runner-up positions. Primary 6 student Isabel Lee, 12, from Clementi Primary said: “It was absolutely great to win. We didn't expect it. To prepare, we read as much as we could together as a team and on our own, and it has paid off. The questions in the Visual category were the toughest. We intend to put up a good fight against all the other teams at the World Finals.”
Come 8 July 2014, Clementi Primary School will represent Singapore and take on the world's top young readers at the 23rd Kids' Lit Quiz World Finals in Cornwall, United Kingdom (UK).
“Kids' Lit Quiz is a great platform for our young readers to show how well they know the plots and narratives from the world of literature as well as a chance to meet other book lovers from across the nation. The students have impressed us with what they remember from their adventures in reading. It shows their strong interest in books and we hope that the Quiz will encourage them to continue reading widely. I am sure that the students from Clementi Primary will do Singapore proud on the international stage at the Kids' Lit Quiz World Finals in July,” said Mrs Elaine Ng, Chief Executive Officer, National Library Board.
F&N MAGNOLIA, a strong supporter of NLB's reading programmes and the main sponsor for the Kids' Lit Quiz in Singapore, will be sponsoring the winning team's trip to the UK for the World Finals. They are also sponsoring book voucher prizes for today's National Finals.
“As an advocate of nutrition for more than 75 years, F&N MAGNOLIA has been championing the importance of nutrition beyond physical nurturing. We believe in pure goodness and enjoyment of quality products. Through our collaboration with National Library Board's reading and learning initiatives, we are able to reinforce the importance of milk and nourishment. With a well-nourished body our mind is primed to grow and learn. This resonates well with Kids' Lit Quiz which cultivates good reading habits and enriches the brain.
With a successful pilot launch of Kids' Lit Quiz last year, F&N MAGNOLIA is delighted to continue nurturing the mind and body of our young generation with its active support to Kids' Lit Quiz Singapore. We hope that by sending our young talents to participate in the Kids' Lit Quiz World Finals in the United Kingdom, it will enrich their learning endeavour and inspire others to start reading,” said Ms Angela Koh, Senior Marketing Manager, F&N Foods Pte Ltd.
The Kids' Lit Quiz was created by university lecturer and Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit Wayne Mills, who strongly believes in the importance of reading for pleasure. The Kids' Lit Quiz has grown from its humble beginnings in 1991 to an international 'Literature Olympiad', attracting thousands of children across five continents. Participating countries include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and UK.
After the Quiz, Professor Mills said, “The standard of the Singapore competitors was really high and comparable with other teams around the world. The top score today was 80 points, and typically, the top scores at the World Finals average between 75 and 85 points. I encourage the Singapore team to read as widely as possible between now and the finals, as much as a book a day. More than just literacy and comprehension, this Quiz is a real test of their love of reading and literature.”