Children who read and have their own books are more likely to succeed in school – and these city bookworms have proved it.
Pupils at Thorpe St Andrew School finished fourth out of 22 teams from across the UK in the National Reading Champions Quiz final.
The competition challenged young readers to test what they knew about the world of literature with a series of questions.
Evie, Emily, Elyssia and Hannah made up the team from Thorpe, after winning a regional heat at Northgate High in Dereham in March.
The competition, run by the National Literacy Trust, has been running for three years and is the only national reading quiz dedicated entirely to fiction books.
Amanda Hamilton, the school's librarian, said: "Incredibly proud of our students who came joint fourth, just one point off third place, in the UK final of the National Reading Champions Quiz."
The teams battled for the title at the prestigious Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, followed by a ceremony, a certificate and free books.
Henrietta Roberts, senior project manager at the National Literacy Trust, said: “It has been a wonderful occasion celebrating this year’s finalists, as well as the librarians who support them on their reading journeys and the authors who inspire them.
“I am in awe of these young people and their reading knowledge and, with fewer than one in two children enjoying reading, I am so glad that the quiz is helping promote reading for pleasure.
“We know that children who read regularly and have books at home are six times more likely to read above the expected level for their age, which means they are more likely to succeed at school, have more job opportunities when they grow up, and have better mental wellbeing.”
Some of the questions faced
Q: Unscramble the letters to reveal the name of a popular children’s author who broke onto the scene in a storm of success: hot tawny horizon.
A: Anthony Horowitz
Q: Who is the 10-year-old accidental detective in Serena Patel’s series of books?
A: Anisha
Q: True or false? The sequel to Siobhan Dowd’s The London Eye Mystery is written by Robin Stevens and called The Guggenheim Mystery?
A: True
Q: Correct the book title: The Book of Dust, Volume Two: The Splendid Commonwealth by Phillip Pullman
A: The Secret Commonwealth
Q: When my father was killed by a bear possessed by a demon, I became an orphan. I found an orphaned wolf cub whom I can communicate with. He is my guide and my brother. The Raven Clan took me in as one of their own. Who am I?
A: Torak from Michael Paver’s Wolf Brother
Q: In Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow by Benjamin Dean, Archie and his best friends Seb and Bell go to Pride in London. Why?
A: To support Archie’s father
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