Kids celebrate book competition victory

TWO hundred children from six Fingal schools descended on the Draíocht Theatre in Blanchardstown to battle it out in the final of a book reading competition.

Battle of the Book is a reading programme that ran from September 2016 to January 2017. 

The aim of the programme is to get children reading by using a multi-disciplinary interactive approach. 

All of the children read ‘The Ghosts of the Magnificent Children’ by first-time author Caroline Busher, who visited each of the schools involved – St Margaret’s National School, Mary Queen of Ireland National School, Rivermeade, Old Borough Swords, St Nicholas of Myra, Kinsealy, St Marnock’s, Portmarnock and St Patrick’s in Skerries.

The children gathered to take part in a quiz to see which school knew the book and its author best. Ghosts is a spooky tale of an evil circus ringmaster, undead children, a blood curse and plenty of weird and wonderful twists and plots. 

RTE Junior presenter Reuben said when reading the questions out ‘only with this book could I possibly utter the following sentence…what is the name of the man with a duck’s head for a face…!’

It was a very close competition but St Margaret’s National School, Swords, emerged as victors in a highly contested final. The project is jointly funded by the Dublin Airport Authority (daa) and Fingal Libraries. 

Maura Cassidy of the daa presented the St Margaret’s team with their certificate.