Published on Tuesday 03 March 2020
This weekend saw the grand final of BCP Council Libraries’ first ever Book Mastermind competition, which tasked 9-11 year olds with quizzes based on their favourite book.
The winner was 10-year-old Jack Tarling, from Christchurch, who was presented with a trophy, a certificate, and a £20 book token by local author Sarah Lean. The prizes were kindly sponsored by Westbourne Bookshop; runners up received a £10 book token.
The final, which took place on Saturday 29 February at Broadstone Library, was the culmination of a month-long tournament, with 13 children taking part in heats in January and six getting through to the final round. As well as being quizzed on their favourite book, they also faced a round of general knowledge questions.
Councillor Vikki Slade, Leader of BCP Council, said: "These days there are competitions for everything, so there needs to be more to celebrate children’s talents and achievements in a way they can also enjoy.
"I am passionate about libraries and, even though my daughter is almost a teenager, I still read books with her most evenings as well as being a member myself of a BCP Libraries reading group for over 8 years."
The Book Mastermind competition celebrates libraries as a different learning opportunity for children outside the classroom, and BCP Council Libraries hopes to make it an annual event.