International children’s literature contest comes to SFU Vancouver

On Friday, January 20, young readers from across the Lower Mainland will face off at the 7^th annual Kids Lit Quiz British Columbia, this year being hosted by SFU's Vancouver campus.

The winning team will be invited to represent British Columbia at the Kids' Lit Quiz Canada National Final, taking place at Branksome Hall in Toronto in February. The competition has never looked so plentiful, with 21 public and private schools competing for the national final— a ten team increase since last year.

"An integral part of SFU's commitment to community engagement is connecting with local citizens in mutually beneficial ways," says Laurie Anderson, executive director of SFU's Vancouver campus.

"One such initiative is hosting the annual Kids' Lit Quiz, a joint project involving SFU's Faculty of Education, the Vancouver Public Library, and elementary students from across the Lower Mainland."

This year's panel of judges includes SFU Education professor Beth Marshall, teacher Stephanie Yorath and Vancouver Public Library children's librarian Tess Prendergast.

Kids' Lit Quiz (KLQ) is an annual international literary tournament that promotes reading, motivates readers and provides consensus building and leadership opportunities for teams of students aged 10 to 13 years.

Designed to be a fun and personally challenging experience for students whose passion is reading, the KLQ focuses on championing readers and reading.

"An event like the KLQ is important because it honours youth who are interested in books and to reading experiences that aren't confined to the school curriculum," says Beth Marshall, SFU Education professor whose research and teaching centres on children's and young adult literature.

"The KLQ allows for fresh connections with the community including public school teachers, parents, youth, and a larger international community committed to drawing attention to all of the diverse and innovative forms of children's and young adult literature available." 

Now in its 26^th year, the international program has focused on growing an engaged community of student readers.

Always  guaranteed a fun time for all ages, a team of celebrated Canadian children's book authors will also compete against the BC school participants. Authors include Susin Nielsen, John Wilson, Dan Bar-el and Jeremy Tankard.

For more information on Kids' Lit Quiz and details on how to get your school involved in the tournament, visit this page.