LIBRARY NEWS
Term 1, Week 7
Welcome to another busy week in the library. Lots has happened with the announcement of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notables List last Friday, the Premier’s Reading Challenge commencing, and the first Scholastic Book Club for the year going home soon. Plus we’re reading some fantastic books during library lessons too!
This Week’s Reads
Kindergarten - This week, we’re reading Norton and the Bear by Gabriel Evans, a hilarious story about a bear who can’t stop copying everything Norton wears. While it’s a fun and cheeky tale, it also sparks great conversations about being unique and how friends can simultaneously be alike and different.
Kinder is also getting hands-on with books by learning the proper names for all their important parts, from the front & back cover to the pages, spine, and title. So next time they pick up a book, they’ll know it inside and out!
Stage 1 - This week, we’re diving into the wonderful world of Philip Bunting—one of our most popular authors in the library, who has written over 40 fantastic fiction and non-fiction books!
Stage 1 has been fascinated by the incredible lyrebird, a master of mimicry that can imitate everything from other animals to machine sounds… even a chainsaw! After learning about this amazing bird, we read Liarbird by Philip and Laura Bunting, sparking a fun discussion—is complete honesty always the best policy?
Stage 2 - Last week, we wrapped up the incredible Alison Lester story, Running With the Horses. For many students, it was their first ‘serious’ book— a daring escape from the German army in WWII Vienna, alongside the majestic Lipizzaner horses from the Royal Dancing Horses Academy. With its stunning illustrations and gripping storyline, Stage 2 has officially declared it “the best book ever!”
This week, we’re switching things up with a completely different kind of story by the brilliant Shaun Tan. His surreal storytelling and breathtaking artwork will take us somewhere unexpected, and I can’t wait to hear what students think. Will it be another new favourite? Stay tuned!
Stage 3 - Students have been diving into the exciting literary genres of fantasy and science fiction by reading the first chapters of The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani and Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. Through these stories, they discover what makes each genre unique—magical worlds, futuristic inventions, epic adventures, and larger-than-life characters!
By comparing the features of fantasy and sci-fi, students are learning how these genres transport readers to incredible new realms where anything is possible.
CBCA Book of the Year Notables Announced
Last Friday, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Notables were revealed! This list showcases some of the best books by Australian authors and illustrators from the past year.
Later, this longlist will be narrowed down, leading to the Book of the Year winners, which will be announced during Book Week in Term 3. If you’re looking for some great books for younger children, this is your list! You can find more information about the Notables here.
Term 1 - Scholastic Book Club
The first Scholastic Book Club catalogue for 2025 will be sent home later this week. Each term, students receive a catalogue filled with a wide range of age-appropriate and affordable books to enjoy at home. Scholastic Book Club is a fantastic way to encourage a love of reading while supporting our school library, as every purchase helps earn rewards for our school. These rewards are then used to buy new books and resources for our students. Participation is voluntary, and there’s no obligation to buy, but it’s an excellent opportunity to build your child’s home library and foster a lifelong love of reading! You can visit the Scholastic website here to learn more about Book Club.
How do I Order?
This year, we continue encouraging all families to use Scholastic’s online ordering system, LOOP. Following the success of this system last year with most families using it already, this will mean families no longer have to return their order with cash to the school, now you can place your orders here.
Initially, you will need to register, and then you can place your order. We appreciate your support of the Book Club. If you have any queries, please let me know.
Premier’s Reading Challenge - What Do We Do Now?
Exciting news! If your child has returned their permission note, a password letter will be sent home this week so they can start logging their books. This year, the Challenge organisers issued all participants a brand-new password for security reasons so that previous passwords won’t work.
Once you have your password, head to the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) website to get started! K-2 students need to read 30 books (these can be read to them), while Years 3-10 students read 20 books from the approved online booklist. This year, both Kindergarten classes can complete the Challenge at school, so families will not need to log their books for them. If you prefer, you can still complete the Challenge at home.
For all other participating students, don’t forget to log each book in the online student reading log before the challenge closes at midnight on Friday, August 22, 2025.
It’s not too late to join! Students can sign up anytime before the closing date - grab a permission note from the library. Let the reading adventure begin!
Library Book Buddies
One of the most fun things about the library is spending time with our Book Buddies—a lovable collection of stuffed animals and characters from some of our favourite picture books. You might think they’d be most popular with our younger students, but guess what? That’s not always the case!
Every morning, 9M and Mrs. McLachlan visit the library for Pastoral Care, and without fail, they can’t resist cuddling (and maybe even secretly playing—shhh!) with the Buddies. Who says you’re ever too old for a bit of fun?
The Library: Where Secondary Students Connect & Create!
Our library has become a popular hangout spot for secondary students, whether challenging each other to play chess, catching up with friends, diving into a good book, or getting some schoolwork done. It’s the perfect place to relax, learn, and enjoy a little downtime between classes!
Meet the Readers
Meet Thomas from 2M, who was excited to borrow a famous Pamela Allen story with his name in the title.
Meet Bailey and Fallyn from 5M, who love information stories like the Horrible Geography series and Predator Battles.
Thank you!
Each year, our library is lucky to receive a wonderful donation of homemade sensory mats, fidget toys and library bags from the incredible Inverell Community Sewing Group. These beautiful donations are given to students who don’t have a bag or have forgotten one for borrowing and always brighten the day of whoever is lucky enough to take one home. Once again, I would like to thank this community group for their special donation. We really appreciate it!
Happy reading,
Mrs Toni Fraser