29 August 2018
The Junior School celebrated this year’s Book Week with a Find Your Treasure themed assembly led by Year 12 student and Junior School Chair, Hannah Vesinger, with the help of Year 6 leaders. Students and staff took to the stage in costume to share their favourite character from a book, followed by a special morning-tea including some amazing Book Week cake made by Marcus Marriott.
Junior School Librarian, Mrs Meg Denman, said, “Book Week is a great chance to celebrate the joy of reading and to recognize the fact that Australian children have some of the best books in the world to read!”
“We saw some amazing costumes this year, ranging from pre-kinder to year six. The Book Week cake, shaped like an enormous book with the theme on the front cover, was cut up and divided among the students and staff and was undeniably delicious. Some of the Book Week books for early readers I’ve enjoyed this year include The Second Sky, because of its charming illustrations and message and I’m Australian Too, because of the fun rhyme and inclusive message it provides. To me, the Book Week theme this year is a message about finding the right book for you,” said Hannah, Year 6.
Pia, also in Year 6, added, “I really enjoyed dressing up and seeing everyone else’s costumes. I went as Anne of Green Gables and wore a green dress and dark top. Lining up on the stage and telling everyone who we were was fun.”
Junior School staff chose owls from the picture book, Mopoke by Philip Bunting as their Book Week characters.
Children’s Book Week is Australia’s longest running children’s festival in Australia – the first Book Week celebration was held in 1946. Winners of the prestigious Book of the Year awards for 2018 are also announced. Popular children’s books which have previously won include: Possum Magic by Mem Fox, Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester andThe Lost Thing by Shaun Tan.
“Book Week is an enduring favourite – it’s one of the most memorable Junior School moments for our students!” said Head of Junior School, Mrs Amanda Evans.
The 2018 Book of the Year Award winners were:
Older readers: Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley
Younger readers: How to Bee by Bren Macdibble
Information books: Do not Lick this Book by Idan Ben Barak
Picture book: A Walk in the Bush by Gwyn Perkins
Best early childhood book: Rodney Loses It by Michael Gerard Bauer