Episode 9: The Olympics of Reading: The Kids' Lit Quiz and Phendulani Quiz celebrate children with a love for reading

Loading player...
Literacy activist Marjorie Brown uses book quizzes to spark a love of reading and boost literacy in schools in South Africa. "Reading is just as important as sports for our general wellbeing" believes Brown and we couldn't agree more.

Anti-Apartheid and literacy activist Marjorie Brown has transformed children’s lives by running the International Kids' Lit Quiz and starting her own local version, Phendulani Quiz for disadvantaged schools. She was nominated for the Global Teacher Award and embodies the passion and commitment the South African education system needs. The competitions, which focus on the top readers from Grade 5-7, connect and celebrate children with a passion and skill for reading. The international finals will be held on 13 August 2025 at St John's Prep in Johannesburg.

You can find out more about Kids Lit Quiz here and Phendulani Quiz here...
www.kidslitquiz.com and www.phendulani.com

Book Reviews this month include:
Claris the Chicest Mouse in Paris by Megan Hess ( Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing), Dance To Your Own Beat by Refiloe Moahloli and illustrated by Gabi Boy (Pan Macmillan), The Comet by Joe Todd Stanton (Flying Eye Books), Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey and illustrated by Mika Song (Chronicle Books) and the YA book, Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Pan Books).

Find us on Apple and Spotify. Follow us on @booktreetalk
5 Aug English South Africa Books · Kids & Family

Other recent episodes

Episode 12 - How to Build Your Child's Creativity and Imagination

How to Build Your Child's Creativity and Imagination ‘To be able to ideate, to think a fresh thought and offer it, is the only hope for our future.’ Join us for an enlightening chat with Lindi Bell, educational innovator and the founder of Small World School, the first Reggio-inspired school…
2 Dec 41 min

Episode 11: Do you want to be a children's book author?

Many people say they want to write a children's book. We chatted to bestselling author Refiloe Moahloli to find out how she made it happen. From an early career in the corporate world, and a life changing trip to Mumbai, Refiloe took a chance and dedicated herself to her dream…
20 Oct 48 min

EPISODE 10: How To Choose Books For Your Children

It can be overwhelming deciding what to buy at the book store. So many books! So many fun, colourful covers! So much money spent, you want to be sure it's a winner! We have the best tips on how to select books for your children. Did you know there is…
7 Sep 46 min

Episode 7: Why We Need This Children’s Book About Apartheid

In this episode I interview Xolisa Guzula, author and literacy scholar about her new book Together Apart: The Story of Living in Apartheid. This is an important children's book. Yes, it’s been 30 years since Apartheid ended. And we still need to understand how it shaped South Africa in so…
6 Apr 36 min