Book Week is upon us! For many parents, it is a week filled with both joy and perhaps a little dread as costumes are gathered for the Book Week parade. Some children have been planning their outfits for weeks, while others will suddenly panic on Thursday night as they decide what to wear on Friday!
Book Week was first launched in 1913 by American librarian Franklin K. Matthiews, who wanted to promote higher standards in children’s literature. Australia quickly joined in, with our first Book Week held in 1945, a time when children’s books were scarce and Australian authors were little known to the world. Today, more than 130 million books have been published globally. An avid reader may finish around 6,000 of them in their lifetime—a reminder to choose wisely!
But Book Week is about much more than costumes and parades. This year, we are delighted to offer a range of activities to nurture a love of reading:
- Monday: Storytime with Miss Nunn
- Tuesday: Book-themed colouring sheets
- Wednesday: Create your own bookmarks
- Thursday: Adventure-themed craft (icy pole planes) and story time with our Library Leaders
- Friday: Parade day and Student Photo Booth fun!
In addition, students will enjoy author incursions and next week’s Book Fair, a wonderful opportunity to discover new stories.
At its heart, Book Week has four main purposes:
- To honour the gift of books, authors and illustrators.
- To inspire a lifelong love of reading and literacy.
- To broaden children’s awareness of the stories available to them.
- To have fun—building memories with family and seeing teachers in a different light!
Equally important, Book Week is not about:
- Creating the “best costume ever” at the expense of sleep, stress or comparison.
- Reusing a consumer costume just because it’s convenient.
- Forcing children into a parent’s favourite character rather than their own.
As researchers like Professor Pamela Snow and Dr Nathaniel Swain remind us, strong literacy foundations not only predict future learning success but also shape children’s ability to engage in life with empathy, imagination and confidence.
For us as a Christian school, however, reading is even more deeply significant. The words of Scripture remind us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). God has chosen to reveal Himself through His Word, the Bible, which includes many stories. Jesus Himself often taught using parables: stories that captured the imagination and invited His listeners to see life from God’s perspective. When our children read, they are not only developing vital skills; they are also training their minds and hearts to seek truth, beauty and goodness.
That is why we celebrate Book Week with joy. Each story we read can point us towards the greater Story God is writing in the world and our part to play in God’s big story. Our prayer is that our children will develop a love of reading that not only enriches their learning but also deepens their faith, as they come to know Christ, the Living Word, more fully.
And yes, as your Principal it is important that I role model and hence I’ll be joining in the parade too! This year I will be Julia Donaldson’s Stickman, created with $10.50 from Spotlight and a hot glue gun. A reminder that imagination, not Instagram, is what makes Book Week special. See you there!