I cannot imagine life without books: whether on shelves, or tucked away in my Kindle, or in a bookstore or a public library. I am having a "clear out" of our books - and it is very difficult to part with any of them. Let's call it a very selective "weeding out." You can see what I am reading (or "want to read" - a list that's always way too long!) on my GoodReads page here. I have rather eclectic tastes and I am prone to re-reading classics that I read when I was much younger.
Daniel Lyle is the Jamaica Library Service 2024 National Reading Champion for the age 12 -14 age group. (Photo: Jamaica Library Service)
Anyway, we need to encourage our young people to read - and to enjoy reading. Not just school books, but all kinds of other books. There are some fantastic young adult novels out there, for example, many of them written by Caribbean authors. There are brilliant graphic novels; and if a boy or girl has a particular interest, there are non-fiction books on everything under the sun. The Book Industry Association of Jamaica continues to promote a "culture of reading" - not only for information and learning, but for pleasure.
The 2024 National Reading Competition Champions: (L-R) Fantasia Edwards, Yendi Burke, Athena Whyte (front), and Ugochukwu Durueke. (Photo: Jamaica Library Service)
So, each year the Jamaica Library Service hosts a National Reading Competition for readers of all ages. The awardees received numerous prizes donated by the private sector and met up with local authors such as Earl Moxam, Marlene Stephenson Dalley and Elkanah Rhule, whose books were used in the competition. It's encouraging that there has been a substantial increase in contestants. Here is more about the winners:
2024 National Reading Champions Lauded
KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Friday, August 30, 2024
The National Reading Competition Champions for 2024 were announced at a captivating awards ceremony on Friday, August 30, 2024 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. Athena Whyte (6-8 age group); Yendi Burke (9-11 age group); Daniel Lyle (12-14 age group); Fantasia Edwards (15-20 age group) and Ugochukwu Durueke (21 and over age group) copped the title National Reading Competition Champions for their outstanding performance in the islandwide competition held under the theme "Read More in 2024."
The competition recognized outstanding achievements with sectional awards for Best Letter, Best Book Review, Best Story Ending, Best Poetry Analyses and Highest Overall Champion. The champions, runners up, and sectional awardees received trophies, cash prizes, tablets, books, hotel stays among other desirable prizes through partnership with the private sector.
Athena Whyte receives her trophy and cash prize from Mrs. Samantha Charles, CEO of
the VM Foundation. (Photo: Jamaica Library Service)
Miss Maureen Thompson, Director General of the JLS shared that the competition, now in its 36th year, has grown since its last staging, celebrating a 17% increase in registrants. The competition totaled 3133 participants islandwide (2,847 children and 286 adults). A reason for this, she believes is that "… public libraries continue to foster a nurturing environment where reading and learning are championed, valued, and celebrated."
Highlighting the value of reading and the work of the JLS, Samantha Charles, CEO for the VM Foundation stated:
"Reading is not just a form of leisure, but exposes those who indulge to information on critical life skills, which can be applied toward self, community and national development. It is this observation which initially led the VM team to pursue our partnership with the Jamaica Library Service."
After several weeks of reading selections of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and financial literacy and completing various assessments, the winners, local librarians, teachers and family members celebrated the fruits of their hard work and dedication.
Highest scoring champion Ugochukwu Durueke shared in his acceptance speech:
"It has been a long journey of determination, doggedness, [and] resilience. I tried to achieve this aim for 10 years …I thank JLS for what they have done for me…they have made a great impact on my life and I plan to partner with them as a reading ambassador."
It can be well credited to the Jamaica Library Service another successful year of encouraging good reading habits in Jamaica.
National Champions Yendi Burke, Ugochukwu Durueke, and Athena Whyte with featured
authors from the 2024 National Reading Competition, (left to right) Elkanah Rhule, Earl Moxam and Marlene Stephenson-Dalley. (Photo: Jamaica Library Service)
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