READING IS MAGIC: BOOK WEEK IN THE PRIMARY YEARS

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation formed in 1945 with the mission to 'enrich young lives through Australian stories'. One of their key initiatives is the annual Book of the Year Awards, which promotes high-quality Australian literature and celebrates the authors and illustrators who create these texts. These awards are announced each year at the start of Children’s Book Week.

At St Peters Lutheran College, the Primary Years embraced Book Week 2024 as a wonderful celebration of books and reading and the perfect opportunity to promote recreational reading across our school community.

During the term, students explored many of the shortlisted titles from the CBCA Book of the Year categories and learned about the judging criteria used to select the winners. They critiqued various aspects of the texts, including the use of language, illustrations, design features and themes, and decided on their own winners.

A highlight of our Children’s Book Week festivities was our Dress-Up Day and Costume Walk. Teaching teams from across different year levels chose themes like Rainbow Magic, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter, while students had a ball dressing as their favourite characters from much-loved books.

Our celebrations also included a special Book Week-themed Chapel service, where we gave thanks for the gift of literacy and the many talented people working in the children’s literature industry. Additionally, a Book Fair in Lower Primary allowed children to savour the joy of buying books for their personal collections.

In addition, we leveraged this focal point to support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, raising over $1,500.00. Upper Primary students hosted a fete-style Choc Toss fundraiser over two weeks, and students, families and staff across the entire Primary Years donated generously on our Dress Up Day. This money will help fund the publication of bilingual books for children in remote First Nations communities.

Article by: Primary Years Teacher Librarians Christina Wheeler, Megan Daley, Lotte ten Haken