Community & Business
1 July, 2025
Young readers shine at cup
YOUNG students from St Stephen’s Catholic College proved their keen reading skills after placing second in the recent FNQ Readers Cup.
The local high school recently hosted the FNQ Year 7/8 Readers Cup which brought together 19 teams from schools across the region, with an additional four teams participating remotely.
After a tightly contested series of rounds, St Monica’s College (Cairns) emerged victorious, showcasing great teamwork and literary insight.
St Stephen’s secured a close second place, followed by Freshwater Christian College (Cairns), who rounded out the top three with a strong performance.
The St Stephen’s team included Hannah Barnes, Mia Inderbitzin, Claire Bateman and Jack Archer.
The competition, coordinated by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Queensland Branch, is a quiz-style literary challenge where teams of four students from Years 7 and 8 read a curated list of five books and then compete by answering detailed questions. The competition tests not only memory and comprehension but also interpretation and teamwork.
The Readers Cup is to encourage reading for pleasure, to develop critical thinking, and to foster collaboration. It’s also a celebration of literature and a chance for students to connect with Australian authors and stories in a meaningful way.
“The atmosphere on the day was electric,” teacher-librarian Simone Gillies said.
“Students arrived with enthusiasm and a clear passion for reading. The depth of knowledge displayed during the competition was impressive.
“Many teams demonstrated an understanding of character development, plot twists, and thematic elements.
“Events like the Readers Cup remind us of the transformative power of reading. They build confidence, spark curiosity, and create lifelong readers.”
