1. How many teams may a school enter?

A school may enter two teams. A team consists of four students . The composition of the team is up to the school. Some combinations are: all Y 6 or all Y 7 or all Y 8 or a mix, all girls or all boys or a mix. (In some countries this may be read as Y 5, Y 6, Y 7.) Students must be all from the same school whether they are Y6, Y7 or Y8, and must be under 14 years on 1st July prior to the World Final.

2. Are teams allowed to make substitutions?

No substitutions are allowed. But students are encouraged to come along as supporters.

3. Is there a reading list?

The quiz is all about reading for pleasure. We want students to read widely and unfettered by a list. It is our belief that a list acts as a test in disguise. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet other like-minded readers who simply enjoy reading.

4. How do schools answer the questions?

One person in the team, usually the best speller, records the team’s answer onto a supplied answer sheet. The team works collaboratively.

5. What name does each team use?

Teams must use their school’s name. If there are two entries from the same school then one team becomes School I the other School II.

6. Is there a toilet break?

There is a break after 75 minutes for a snack and toileting.

7. Is there a visual category?

Every year one category is visual. No teams know in advance the visual category.

8. How can I best prepare my team(s)?

Select students who read widely from a range of genre. Use the pretest only as a rough guide. Some schools arrange inter class play offs to aid selection, others arrange parents/librarians/past participants to act as mentors. It is a good idea to get together with the English Department when selecting a team.

9. How long does the Kids’ Lit Quiz™ last?

Three hours.

10. Why should our school enter a team?

The quiz provides an incentive for a school’s better readers to extend their reading and to broaden their literary knowledge. It also encourages the more reluctant reader to enjoy books The benefits of the quiz are well-supported by research (Harrington 2008, Jacques 2012)

11. I'm not sure whether the Quiz is right for our school, can I have a look first?

Certainly, have a look at the schedule of heats and finals to see the dates and venues of the competition. Come along and see for yourself that apart from the obvious, the quiz is also fun. You might even win an audience prize… a book, of course!