Book Week: competition, parade, visiting authors

Learning in the Library

Book Week Writers’ Festival and Competition

The SSC Library is working to support the College’s goal of building a culture of reading and writing. During Book Week this year we will have a number of events celebrating the power of storytelling.

On Wednesday 21 August, we have invited five celebrated Australian authors to speak to the students about all things writing and illustrating. Students will have the opportunity to hear from:

  • Sarah Ayoub – writer and journalist
  • Pip Harry – writer and journalist
  • Charmaine Leddin-Lewis – Indigenous illustrator
  • Wai Chim – writer
  • Graham Akhurst – Indigenous writer

Each class from Years 5-11 (Year 10 will be on an excursion that day) will be timetabled to listen to one of the writers about the inspiration, process and journey of getting their work from idea to publication.

Book Week Parade

The theme for the CBCA Book Week this year is Reading is Magic. SSC Library has a number of exciting initiatives planned throughout this week to promote reading, culminating in a Book Week Parade for students in Years 5-12.

On Friday 23 August students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character and take part in the Book Week Parade at lunch on the Small Hockey Field. Students who choose to come dressed in costume must bring a gold coin donation for charity and must abide by the usual rules for mufti days:

  • Closed shoes for Science or Technology lessons
  • Must be of appropriate length, no bare midriffs or tops with thin straps.

Students who do not wish to take part must be in full school uniform.

Funds raised on the day will be donated to Room to Read, a non-profit organisation working to improve literacy through gender equality in girls’ education. They are achieving this goal by helping children in historically low-income communities develop literacy skills and a habit of reading, and more than anything, supporting girls as they build skills to succeed in school and negotiate key life decisions. Money raised builds schools, and creates books written in local languages.

So what’s a book character?

  • Wednesday Addams?  No, she is a character from a 1964 TV series.
  • Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked?  Yes, they’re both from the novel by Gregory Maguire.
  • Nanny McPhee – Yes, she is based on The Collected Tales of Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand

If your child is looking for inspiration, here are a few others to consider:

  • Characters from Harry Potter, Narnia, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries or The Hunger Games
  • Classics such as Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood or Mary Poppins
  • Miranda and her school friends from Picnic at Hanging Rock
  • A detective such as The Famous Five including Timmy the dog, Nancy Drew or Sherlock or Enola Holmes
  • The Shakespeare characters they are studying
  • The girls from Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants or The Princess Diaries
  • Gandalf or the Hobbits, Coraline or Wolf Girl
  • Or maybe a favourite picture book character – Where is the green sheep, The day the crayons quit, a Dalmatian or Spot the Dog.

There are so many characters to choose from, either individually or part of a group costume with their friends. So we encourage all students to scan their book shelves, search their wardrobes and dress ups and show us the magic of reading in their lives.

Please feel free to contact us in the library if you have questions.  

Creative Writing Narrative Competition

To showcase their own writing and creativity, students from Years 5-12 have been invited to enter our Creative Writing Narrative Competition. The criteria is to write a narrative, set in a library, in any genre they desire (mystery, realism, fantasy, crime, historical etc). The word limit is between 300-500 words and there will be age group prizes. The deadline is 20 August and the entries will be judged by Dr Richardson and Ms Marchetta, both published writers. Students can access the details for entry in the Veritas Online Library page or contact library staff.

Susan Lombardo
Head of Library 5-12/ Extended Essay Coordinator