Middletown Students Win Silver In International Reading Competition

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A team of four young readers from Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Middletown recently represented the United States in the Kids' Lit Quiz World Final and earned the Silver Medal. The Kids’ Lit Quiz is an international reading competition open to ages 10-13 in which teams of students showcase their literary knowledge through a variety of competitive formats.

The competition is meant to celebrate young scholars in ways an athlete might be traditionally recognized. Competitors are celebrated for their literary prowess and exceptional performance in “the sport of reading,” a term originally coined by the Kids' Lit Quiz creator, Wayne Mills.

The team's journey began when they bested 89 other teams to win the U.S. National Finals in February. Alexandra Ren, Bennie Baldwin, Constantinos Soteriou, and Nora Salo-Markowski, coached by Ms. Maggie Murphy, moved forward to represent the United States in the World Finals held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 3.

At the World Final, they won the Silver Medal. It was a nail-biter! Woodrow Wilson Middle School's team was second to last during the first half, then surged after the intermission to move up to second place.

South Africa dominated throughout and won the final.

The competition was fierce as each team represented the best and brightest readers of their respective country. Other countries also present in the World Final include: Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The Canadians hosted these teams for a week's stay in the Greater Toronto area during which they attended workshops with numerous children's authors, were honored at a gala dinner, toured famous Canadian attractions, and more.

The students have been honored locally by Mayor Dan Drew, Superintendent Dr. Patricia Charles, and Councilwoman Kleckowski.

Pictured: Coach Murphy, Nora Salo-Markowski, Alex Ren, Quizmaster Wayne Mills, Constantinos Soteriou, and Bennie Baldwin pose with their medals following the competition.

(Contributed photo and article)