June 18, 2024 by Agathe PERRIN
Shanice, Grand Est Finalist 2024
© Sébastien Plantier
The months of April and May were devoted to the regional and European finals of the Little Reading Champions. 14 regional finalists and 1 European finalist were then revealed. Among which the young Shanice Herbaut, Grand Est 2024 champion and originally from La Vôges-Les-Bains. Before the final, place for “author meetings”.
Meeting the author Johan Heliot
The notion of sharing is a common thread that guides the adventure of Little reading champions. In addition to the grand finale, a particularly notable moment appears in the agenda of the young participants in June: meetings with the authors, organized in the classes of the 15 finalists.
Winner of the regional final on May 17, 2024 at the European Parliament, Shanice, Grand Est 2024 champion and her class will meet Johan Heliot, author of Mysteries of Anglefer (Fleurus edition) on Monday June 17 afternoon at the primary school of La Vôges-Les-Bains.
The meeting will begin with the presentation of the author, of Shaniceof the students and of the teacher. Secondly, the children will exchange with the author on his profession as well as on his book. Shanice will read her excerpt to the author, followed by other students reading certain passages. Finally, the author will give advice to children on reading aloud.
These meetings allow classes to deepen their discovery of new works. They offer authors the opportunity to reveal behind the scenes of their writing work, but also to answer children’s questions. During these exchanges, it even happens that the roles are reversed! “With the teacher, we asked the children to imagine the continuation of my story,” says Sophie Tal Men, author of Tibo, the lesson of Nitch (Albin Michel Jeunesse), “and I must admit that this gave me Ideas for the future ! “.
Find the 2023 semi-final here!
Cultural Olympiad, the Grand Final of the Little Reading Champions
It will be Wednesday June 26, on the stage of the Salle Richelieu, where the final will be played. This stage is the place where the greatest texts are performed. And, once a year, it becomes the reading ground for the Little Champions who bring words to life. First finalists from their school, then from their department and finally from their region and European zone, the 15 little champions who are preparing to tread the boards of the most prestigious Parisian theaterhave nothing to envy of the actors and actresses of the Troupe.
To defend their place as Little Reading Champions 2024, the 15 finalists will have three minutesto read at loudly and in public a selected extract from a children’s novel. To accompany them in this moment rich in emotions, each and every one will have at their side the authors of books read on stage. Discover the program and the candidates, go to the official website of the Little Reading Champions
This 12th edition breaks all participation records with more than 150,000 children registered. It also marks the opening of the game to European French establishments. It is by capturing almost 10% of CM1-CM2 of France that this competition is recognized. She encourages the valuing reading and of oral expression in children. Necessary when we see the alarming figures from the CNL study on young people’s relationship with reading…
But also festive grthanks to his collective organization and his meeting timesthe game of Little Reading Champions wins all the votes in the hearts of children, but also of their parents and teachers!
“At first, it was just a project at my school but I didn’t think I would be selected until then! Before, I read alone. Thanks to Little Reading Champions, I discovered that I could share my passion by reading aloud. And I’m so happy to know that when I read, other people like to listen to me.”
Enzo, 2023 finalist of the Grand Est region and winner of the 11th edition of the Little Champions of Reading.
About little reading champions
Created in 2012, the association Les Petits champions de la lecture aims to develop a taste for reading in 8/11 year olds by organizing a major reading aloud game. In 2023/2024, 149,890 children distributed in 5,765 classes will participate in the operation throughout France, including overseas. Placed under the patronage of the Ministry of National Education and that of the Ministry of Culture, chaired by Antoine Gallimard, the game Les Petits champions de la lecture is sponsored by Clémentine Beauvais, children’s author, translator and teacher-researcher at the University of York, England
