Orange High School students ready for Kids Lit Quiz

Orange High School (OHS) students are in study lock down in the lead up to the Kids Literature Quiz National Final on May 4.

OHS will join regional winners from across Australia in the trivia style literature quiz in Sydney.

The winner from the Australian National Final will earn the right to represent the nation at the World Final in New Zealand on July 4.

OHS is no stranger to this international competition, which tests students knowledge of authors, characters, titles, settings and all things book related.

The school sent a group of students to compete in New York in 2015 after it successfully out quizzed Australia’s other lit kids.

English Teacher Jacqueline Ward said when she joined the school this year she found a competent group of readers eager to get involved.

“When we put the call out a group of enthusiastic students who were interested in literature came forward right away,” she said.

OHS entered two teams into the competition at Kinross Wolaroi School (KWS) last month, one team came in second which sees it through to the next round.

KWS took out first place to join OHS at the Australian final.

The OHS winners volunteer their lunchtimes once a week to practice for the upcoming competition, going over practise questions from previous years.

Year 9 student Bridie Pickering gives up her time to act as a mentor to the students, stepping in if someone is away.

Bridie has competed in the event in previous years and says it taught her that there are plenty of people that still love to read as much as her.

Having published her first book, Bullseye, with the support of OHS, Bridie said reading is a gate into another reality.

“I can escape the real world and go to someone else’s,” said Bridie. 

This year’s finalist George Johnson agrees.

“I love that reading takes you to another world,” said George. “You can get lost far away in the characters shoes and feel their happiness and pain.”

Miss Ward said reading is one of the most important things students can do.

“It broadens their knowledge, their creativity and provides life lessons,” she said.