The National Library’s Champion Readers Competition got underway on Monday when participants from the central and branch libraries received their books for the preliminary round.
The contestants must read two books in each category of the competition which boasts competitors in the 12-14, 15-17 and 18-25 age ranges. The panel of judges selected the books for the competition. They are Sprat Morrison and My Father Sun-Sun Johnson in Category One; Animal Farm and Jumbie and the Animal in Category Two and The Turn of the Screw and To Kill a Mocking Bird in Category Three.
With one week allotted to each book, the 60 participants have a two-week period to read their respective books after which the preliminary round of the competition will kick off. The books were taken from the collection from the central library and the branch libraries at Ruimveldt, New Amsterdam, Linden, Corriverton, Bagotville and Anna Regina.
The National Library launched the four-month on April 4. In a press release the library said its objectives are to encourage reading as a stimulating pastime among children and youth; stimulate a thirst for information through the printed medium; nurture a life-long love for reading; develop the participants reading and comprehension skills and assist in the promotion of literacy in Guyana.
It is structured in the format: seven preliminary rounds at the branch libraries in round one; three semi-finals at the New Amsterdam, Linden and Bagotville branches in round two and one final round at the central library. The library said each round will comprise an oral and written segment where participants will be required to read two books. They will then have to read a selected passage from one of the two books aloud and answer in writing, questions set on each.
The winners of each round will then have to read two more books, bringing the total number to six. The best six readers in each category in the preliminary rounds will proceed to the semi-final round, which will have a total of 42 participants.
Three semi-final rounds will be hosted with 14 participants each. The best six from each semi-final will advance to the finals which will have a total of 18 participants. Three winners will be selected from the finals. The books for each category will be selected by a committee who will read them then set the questions. The judges are also expected to read the books.
