Saturday 30 November 2013

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND

Hi Folks
Stunning night in Cornwall a little school which had never entered the quiz before won tonight's heat by over ten points. What's more this heat was the largest to date in the UK. The school was Mullion down on The Lizard. The team of Hannah, Rosie, Ruah and Grace will now make preparations to get to the UK Final on Friday. The prizes were sponsored by Wadebridge School and were awarded by the organiser Megan Nelhams. Our author tonight was Andrew Beasley and he had just learned that he had just been long-listed for the Carnegie Medal. Andrew assisted with the scoring. Thank you.
It was a long drive home and the rest was appreciated after a very successful evening.
Happy reading
Cheers
Wayne

Friday 29 November 2013

NORTH LONDON

The City of London School for Girls was on fire tonight as they top scored this afternoon's quiz easily beating both teams of authors. This team of Ailish, Hannah, Annie and Clem will be one to watch out for at the National Finals. The City of London School for Girls B team also claimed second place and in third spot was University College School B team. We again had an impressive collection of authors supporting the Kids' Lit Quiz. Namely: Savita Kalhan, Candy Courlay, Nick Green, Dave Cousins, Sam Hepburn, Natasha Ngan, Echo Freer, Catherine Johnson, Pauline Francis, Mark Robson, Natasha Farrant and John Brindley.
Thanks you Broxbourne School for hosing us and to SERCO and the SLA for sponsoring us.
Happy reading
Wayne
Quizmaster

Wednesday 27 November 2013

SOUTH LONDON

Hi Everyone
We  were at King's College today for our heat and this will also
be the venue for next week's National Final. Can't wait for you to see it. The authors: Lily Hyde, Lindsay Baraclough, Elizabeth Kay and Sophia Bennett were chased along by the winning team but they finally proved victorious. The winning team was last year's defending champions King's College. The team of Dhruv, Asa, Ben and Fin will be competing at the National Final in front of a home crowd. Mark Robson and Sarwat Chadda assisted with the marking. The prizes were  donated by Heath Educational Books and the other sponsorship was given by SERCO and the SLA
Looking forward to the North London heat tomorrow
Happy reading
Wayne
Quizmaster

Tuesday 26 November 2013

OXFORD

We had a terrific heat at St Gregory the Great School. There was a record number of teams and a record number of authors and dignitaries. St Batholomew School did exceptionally well coming both first and third, but it was tight as only 1.5 separated the top three teams. In first place was St Bart's (Daniel, Isaac, Libby and Molly) followed by Cherwell School followed by St Bart's 2. The prizes were awarded by Mr Mike O ' Regan- Deputy Lord Lieutenant Oxfordshire, Councillor Hallchurch and from SERCO Mr Trevor Winchcombe
The following are all our authors Jo Cotterill, Natasha Narayan, Julia Golding, Dennis Hamley, MG Harris, Linda Newbery, Sally Nicholls, Robert Rigby, Katherine Rundell and Susie Day
Thank you all very much for supporting the Kids Lit Quiz
Cheers
Wayne
Quizmaster

Monday 25 November 2013

MIDLANDS

Hi Folks
Well there's no doubt that an evening event pulls in the crowds. We were packed tonight with hundreds of people  watching from the back and the sides. It was an exciting night with  a ten scored on the joker round, a karate demonstration and a new winning team. That winning team was Finham Park School and Kirsty, Emily, Harry and Scott are off to the final! In second place was Blue Coat 1 and in third place was last year's winning school Kenilworth. Our authors - Mark Robson and Irfan Masters plus a Scholastic rep out scored the winning team and they also awarded the book prizes which were all review or award copies kindly donated by the organiser Joy Court.
Thanks to all those people who supported the teams tonight you made it a real festival of reading.
Cheers
Wayne
Quizmaster

Thursday 21 November 2013

CENTRAL ENGLAND

Hi Folks
There was another record attendance at today's heat and this forced a change of venue within Kimbolton School. It was nice to welcome another author, Megan Rix, who joined fellow authors Mark Robson and Victoria Campbell and together they top scored the quiz. Comberton Village College were the first-time winners and the team of Jack, Callum, Anastasia and Izzy were often in the money prizes. In second place was Oundle School followed by last year's winning team Aylesbury Grammar. Thanks to our sponsors Frances Lincoln Books, SERCO and SLA.
Happy reading
Wayne
Quizmaster

Wednesday 20 November 2013

NORFOLK

Hi Folks
Well what a quiz, there was a log-jam at the top. Fourteen teams all finished within the top ten points. Tonight's winner defended their 2012 title. This was Thetford Grammar with Ruby, Millie, Andrew and Tomas as their school's A team. In second place was Litcham School B and third was Culford Prep. The author/librarian team was terrific and they easily won the heat but then they have been reading for longer. Sarawak Chadda awarded the prizes to the top three teams. The book prizes were donated by Orion and the event was capably organised by the School Library Service at an excellent new venue - City Academy.
Thanks to our other sponsors: SERCO and SLA
Happy reading
Wayne
Quizmaster

EAST ENGLAND

Hi Folks
I'm writing this the morning after the quiz as we had a long drive getting home last night. We were back in Corringham yesterday for this heat hosted by the team from the Thurrock Council Libraries (Children's Services). King Edward VI School was the first-winner of the heat and so  Daniel, Sam, Max and Matthew are now headed to London for the UK Final. In second place was last year's winning school Junior Kings and in third place was Bancrofts School.
Thanks to the sponsors:Bloomsbury, SERCO and SLA
Happy reading
Wayne
Quizmaster

Monday 18 November 2013

NW ENGLAND

Hi Folks
There was a great start to the second week of the KLQ held for the first time at Pendle Vale College this afternoon. Cockermouth the defending team and UK champions won today's heat. Their score was the highest achieved to date but they were seriously challenged by Queen Katherine A team who came second. The Cockermouth team consisted of two students who had gone out to South Africa for the World Final. Great result Eve, Alex, Leo and Rosie. In third place was Altrincham School. Our authors' team Dave Cryer and Philip Caveney came fourth and they handed out the awards to the winning teams. Thanks to our sponors: Hachette, SERCO and SLA.
Happy reading
Wayne
Quizmaster

Friday 15 November 2013

LIVERPOOL

Hi Folks
After an absence of eight years in Liverpool we were hosted tonight by Merchant Taylor's School. Our authors at today's. Quiz were Cathy Cassidy, Victoria Campbell,  Richard Knight and Jon Mayhew and they were too strong for the school teams winning by more than 20 points. The authors awarded the prizes to King's Macclesfield School A team for first place. The team comprising of Ciara, Sean, Joe and Megan defeated the second place team by one point. In second place was the Kings School Chester B and in third place was Withington Girls School. Tonight's sponsors were Walker Books, SERCO and the SLA.
It was good to be back in Liverpool
Wayne

Thursday 14 November 2013

NORTHERN IRELAND

There was a fabulous festival feeling to tonight's eighth Northern Ireland Kids' Lit Quiz heat at Wellington College. Characters came alive from the pages of books during the Fancy Dress Parade. It was wonderful to see so many kids come dressed up and the standard was the best I'd seen. Top Mascot Prize went to St Paul's High School, Bessbrook for the 2nd year running for their fantastic recreation of Sally Gardner's Maggot Moon. Killicomaine Junior High, Portadown won tonight's quiz convincingly. They played a blinder with their Joker. Congratulations to Nye, Caleb, Emily and Daniel. Our storytellers Niall de Burca and Derek Kielty handed out the prizes. There was a tie for 2nd place which was decided by a sudden death question. The winner was Methodist College Belfast and in 3rd place was Rathmore. Over 150 spectators watched the event from the rear of the hall. They were very impressed with this year's standard. Thanks to our sponsors Serco, Scholastic and SLA.

Happy Reading

Wayne

KLQ Quizmaster

Wednesday 13 November 2013

CENTRAL SCOTLAND

Hi Everyone
We had a great heat today at Liberton High School. This was the first time that they had hosted a quiz and it all went very well. Our authors kindly offered to do the marking today, they were: Linda Strachan, Victoria Campbell, Keith Charteris and  Matt Cartney.   The winning school was George Heriot's School A, The team of Ayesha, Amy, Lizzie & Rhuari will now head to the UK final in London next month.  In second place was  ESMS Junior School A –and in third place was Glenalmond A.  The banner competition was very successful and the winner was the Kids' Lit Quiz Games looking like The Hunger Games.
Looking forward to the next heat in Northern Ireland
Cheers
Wayne
Quizmaster

Tuesday 12 November 2013

WEST SCOTLAND

Hi Everyone
A record attendance was achieved today in the West Scotland heat because we had 37 teams participating. Several new schools entered. The prizes were awarded by Cathy MacPhail and Victoria Campbell. Both of these authors were in the authors' team. The other two members were Keith Charteris and Kirkland Ciccone. The stars  tonight was the teams of librarians who scored a massive 95/100. The school that won the heat today had never won before and they were Hamish, Matthew, Colin and Giorgia all from Douglas Academy. They narrowly squeezed out the Glasgow Academy 2 team by half a mark. In third place was Perth High School. Tonight's sponsors were: Scotia Books, Strident Books, SERCO and the SLA.
Keep up your reading
Wayne
Quizmaster

NE ENGLAND

Hi Folks
Cracking start to the first round of the UK Kids' Lit Quiz. The authors' team of Linda Strachan, Mark Robson, Helen Limon and Steve from Seven Stories was too talented and too knowledgeable for the kids' teams tonight. The winning school team however was Durham High School. Alexandra, Abigail, Lauren and Bolin took first place edging out King James  and Hexham Middle School who jointly tied for second place followed by the King James 1 team who were third. The prizes were awarded by Anne Fine who also assisted with the marking. Anne was amazed by the efficiency and enthusiasm of the whole event. Thanks to our sponsors: SERCO, Usborne Books, and the SLA. It was a very exciting night with only three points separating the top four teams. Wonderful start.
Happy reading
Wayne
Quizmaster