The Indian students claimed top honours in all the three categories the competition was conducted in.
Four of the five Indian students are from Nagpur and one from Madurai. Two students from China and one each from Malaysia and Pakistan were among other winners.
The reading competition for primary and secondary school students that aims to motivate them to improve their English reading skills, creativity and original thinking, saw 6,000 submissions from the four countries, including 300 from 20 schools across India.
"Oxford Big Read is unique from other reading competitions as it requires students to participate in activities based on their age. The activities include designing book jackets, creative story writing and writing book reviews," an OUP statement said.
The Indian students cited are:
Level 1 (classes 1 to 3): B.R. Nimeesha, Sri Aurobindo Mira Universal School, Madurai (Winner).
Level 2 (classes 4-6): Ananya Sheorey, The CDS School, Nagpur (Winner); Saara Sen, Centre Point School, Wardhaman Nagar, Nagpur (First Runner Up).
Level 3 (classes 7-9): Neha Chhajed, Bhavan's BP Vidya Mandir, Nagpur (Winner); Sama S. Jahagirdar, Bhavan's BP Vidya Mandir, Nagpur (First Runner Up).
The other students cited:
Level 1: Chen Wellin, Jiang Guangnai Memorial Primary Sschool, Liwan District, Guangzhou, (China) (First Runner Up); Li Yijan, Vanke Kindergarten, (China) (Special Commendation).
Level 2: Faith Liang, Eagles Grammar International School, Subang Jaya, Selangor (Malayasia) (Special Commendation).
Level 3: Adil Hasan, Siddeeq Public School, Islamabad (Special Commendation).
Commenting on the competition, M. Gnana Sundari, Principal, Sri Aurobindo Mira Universal School, Madurai, said: "The Oxford Big Read is an excellent contest for students and creates in them a love for reading. Writing book reviews help students engage more deeply with what they are reading and also it is a great way to develop their vocabulary."
The Oxford Big Read competition will be organized for schools across India, and students can participate in three categories - Level 1 (classes 1 to 3), Level 2 (classes 4-6) and Level 3 (classes 7-9). The Asia leg of the competition will have students from countries such as Pakistan, China, Hong-Kong and Malaysia."
Speaking about the competition, Sivaramakrishnan Venkateswaran, Managing Director, OUP India said: "We are delighted to see growing participation and engagement in Oxford Big Read Asia. This competition provides students with an opportunity to augment the ambit of their reading and also demonstrate their literary and creative skills. He added "we believe that early age interest in reading and writing is fundamental to ensuring better learning outcomes in young learners."
( With inputs from IANS )