Hanover reading champions announced

Claudia Gardner, Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:The Hanover leg of the Jamaica Library Service's (JLS) Reading Competition took place last week at the Hanover Parish Library in Lucea.

According to senior librarian for Hanover, Marvetta Stewart, the competition saw a total of 144 persons competing in five categories. A mix of oral and written elements such as letters, book reviews, and puzzles was judged. The entrants' ability to read, understand, and interpret set books and excerpts from books was the main determinant for selecting the respective winners.

Guidance counsellor, Kerrian Campbell-Matherson, emerged the winner of the 21-and-over category. Faced with seven other competitors, she had a list of three books to read: Dissolution by J.L. Campbell, Private London by James Patterson and Mark Pearson, and The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Andrene Hutchinson got top honours in the 15 to 20 category. Her three books were For Her Son by Colleen Smith-Dennis, A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury, and Held by Edeet Ravel. Seven other persons participated in her category.

YOUNG WINNERS

Seven-year-old Alier Thompson, a student of the Lucea Primary School and member of the Jericho Branch Library, eclipsed 29 other competitors to walk away with the six- to eight-year-old championship title for reading the books Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and Kito in the Kitchen by Radha Pooran.

Green Island Primary School student Jade-Alexia Levy won the nine to 11 age group category out of a total of 60 competitors. She read the books Project Climate Saves by Petre Williams-Raynor and A Goatboy Never Cries by Hazel D. Campbell. Jerome Garwood won the 12 to 14 category out of a total of 38 competitors. He read The Salt Loses Her Savour by Colleen Smith-Dennis and Sticky Wicket Vol. 1 Watkins at Bat by Ewart Rouse.

The main sponsor of the competition was Hanover Charities, the charitable arm of the Round Hill Hotel. Other sponsors included the Rotary Club of Lucea and Millicent Clare, Hanover's first volunteer librarian, who has served the Hanover Parish Library for more than 40 years.

Stewart told Western Focus that the Hanover Parish Library would be hosting a motorcade on Friday, July 19, at 10 a.m. in Lucea to showcase the parish champions. She said she expected the five parish champions to do exceptionally well at the National Reading Competition, which will be held in Kingston in August.

"It was the first time we held our competition in front of an audience. They will do quite well based on what we have seen," she said.

The National Reading Competition was launched in 1988 as part of the Jamaica Library Service's 40th anniversary celebrations. The aim is to enable persons of all age groups to enjoy the benefits of reading, develop reading skills, facilitate exposure to highly rated literature, encourage reading habits, and reinforce reading as a positive and fun activity.