Southridge School's four-person team of reading enthusiasts have a few more books to add to their collections, after winning top prize at Monday's Kids' Lit Quiz national finals in Toronto.
The team – Grade 7 students Serina St. James, Sarah Tisdale and Armaan Randhawa, and Grade 6 student Stephanie Lee – beat out six other teams in the final round en route to the victory.
"They had to buy a duffle bag to transport all their book prizes home," said Nancy Davidson, the national co-ordinator for Kids' Lit Quiz Canada.
The team travelled back to B.C. Tuesday.
"We are thrilled and very excited," Southridge teacher Joyce Chong, the team's coach, told Peace Arch News via email Tuesday afternoon, moments before the team was set to board a plane back to Vancouver.
Kids Lit Quiz is an annual literary tournament aimed at promoting reading among elementary-school students.
Southridge advanced to the nationals after winning the provincial Kids' Lit Quiz on Jan. 23 in Vancouver.
At each event, the teams are asked 100 questions from 10 different categories, all of them relating to children’s literature. The topics are wide-ranging, and can include everything from classic literature, Shakespeare and comic books to more modern fare such as Harry Potter.
In provincial rounds, teams are allowed to debate amongst themselves before giving an answer.
Nationals, however, were a speed-round format – meaning as soon as any team member had an answer, they had to buzz in quickly and give it, with no chance to consult with teammates.
Davidson called Southridge's victory "a convincing win" and hoped it would encourage other B.C. schools to take part in the event in the future.
Now, as Canadian champs, the students have qualified for an even bigger event – the World Cup of Reading, which is set for Connecticut in July.