Redland City schools lit up last week with National Book Week activities.
With the theme this year of ‘Books light up our world’ Book Week is an annual event run by the Children’s Book Council of Australia.
I make a point of reading to my kids as a way of encouraging them to enjoy the creative benefits that reading brings
- Christopher Pyne MP
Now in its 70th year, the week of special activities encourages a love of literacy in children through activities such as book character dress up days, author visits to schools and kindergartens, book readings, book swaps and more.
Schools across the Redlands celebrating Book Week included Ormiston State School, with a book character parade, Redlands College with an evening ‘pillow pile-up’ and author visit, which students attended in their pyjamas, and Faith Lutheran College, Redlands, which celebrated every school day of Book Week from August 24 to 28, while other schools also engaged in a vast range of bookish activities.
FLCR director of development Catherine Williams said students not only marked book week by dressing up as their favourite book character, but parents and grandparents also became involved when they were invited to visit the school each day to join in the fun and have an opportunity to purchase a book to donate to the school.
Book Week also saw Australia’s Children’s Books of the Year announced.
This year’s winners were The Protected (older readers) by Claie Zorn, The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and the Present (younger readers) by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood, Go to Sleep, Jessie (early childhood) also by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood, My Two Blankets (picture book) by Freya Blackwood, and A-Z of Convicts in Van Diemen's Land (information books) by Simon Barnard.
Following immediately after Book Week is National Literacy and Numeracy Week, from August 31 to September 6. Education Minister Christopher Pyne said National Literacy and Numeracy Week recognised the role of parents and teachers in “developing strong reading, writing and mathematical skills in young people”.
“As a parent myself, I make a point of reading to my kids as a way of encouraging them to enjoy the creative benefits that reading brings,” he said.
