Book Week in the Primary School

In the weeks leading up to Book Week, Primary students delved into the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) shortlisted titles during their weekly library lessons. Some classes voted for their favourites, while others explored how language and form are shaped by a book’s purpose and intended audience.

The CBCA’s Book of the Year Awards Ceremony was held on Friday 15 August, at the National Library of Australia in Canberra. One standout title, Laughter is the Best Ending by Maryam Master, was already a library favourite, particularly among the upper primary students—before it was officially named the Younger Readers category winner. Other notable award winners include The Wobbly Bike by Darren McCallum in the Early Childhood category, The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel in the Picture Book category, and Always Was, Always Will Be by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson in the Eve Pownall Non-Fiction category.

Our Book Week celebrations culminated in the much-loved Book Character Parade. Despite the rain, hundreds of parents gathered in the Great Hall to see students from Kindergarten to Year 6 dressed as their favourite book characters. With the 2025 theme “Book an Adventure!” we saw a creative array of costumes, including characters from Where is the Green Sheep?, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Cat in the Hat, and many more.

Year 6 students Emilia Laban and Harriet Hilton did a fantastic job as MCs, while Olivia Hung delivered a heartfelt Welcome to Country. Throughout the event, many students were interviewed about their favourite books and what they love about reading. A highlight was a surprise visit from Ms Allum, who appeared dressed as a dinosaur from Edward Monkton’s A Lovely Love Story.

The parade concluded with the exciting announcement of the class with the highest participation in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC), now in its 24th year. Designed to promote reading for pleasure and leisure, the PRC saw remarkable engagement this year. Out of 282 primary students, 268 completed the challenge, reading a combined total of more than 5,500 books since February. Special congratulations to 6S and 5R, who both achieved an impressive 100 percent completion rate. A big thank you to all students and teachers who made this achievement possible through their dedication and encouragement.

Here are some of the images

Helen Dempsey
Head of Primary