Word's out Tamatea kids are tops

Tamatea Intermediate "booked" their place in the final of a national literature contest by winning a regional competition in Napier on Friday.

The school won the top two spots at the Paper Plus Kids' Lit Quiz, held at Napier Intermediate.

More than 20 teams of four, from Napier to Waipukurau, took part in the regional final for the right to represent Hawke's Bay at the national final in Auckland next month.

Napier librarian Nicoleta Paxie said the two Tamatea teams performed well under the coaching of Tamatea teacher Chris Couling.

The teams answered 100 questions in categories from almost any genre, including poetry, nursery rhymes, comics and classic and contemporary fiction, Ms Paxie said.

The winners would have their air fares to the finals paid for, courtesy of Paper Plus, and the two runners up, Tamatea and Ongaonga, received gift vouchers and books as prizes, Ms Paxie said.

She was confident Tamatea would do the Bay proud in the national final, to be held at Aotea Square in Auckland.

"I will be backing the Hawke's Bay team to go all the way," she said.

She said this year's final would have an international flavour with teams from South Africa and England joining schools from all over New Zealand.