LITERACY /

LEARNING & TEACHING 

Book Week

Week 7 ~ Term 3 ~ 2023

Each year across Australia, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) brings children and books together by celebrating Book Week. This year’s event will be celebrated between 19th - 25th Augustat Holy Name.

This year's theme of "READ, GROW, INSPIRE", signifies all the wonderful experiences and delicious language books bring to us, to help us do exactly that, read, grow, inspire and be inspired.

The Book Week committee is currently finalising a list of some fun things to be on offer that week. Watch this space as more information will be provided in the coming weeks. 

We can of course expect the usual amazing costume parade, staring our gorgeous learners as they parade around as their favourite books, or characters.

In the meantime, if you want to take a look at the shortlisted books for this year please click this link https://cbca.org.au/shortlist-2023

You might like to start looking into some of these books. Just choose the most appropriate category for your child/ren or perhaps start by looking at the judges reviews. 

I have already selected my favourite. I wonder what yours might be?

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge

Yes, we are just wild about reading!

Congratulations to these wonderful readers who have completed the Premiers’ Reading Challenge! 

Just a reminder that the Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 8 September 2023.

Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’  30 books with their parents and teachers. 

Children from Year 3 to Year 6 are challenged to read 15 books.

All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.

To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge 

Fun with Literacy @Home

Everyone loves a birthday party!

This fortnight we are encouraging you to explore books that are having a birthday this year, or those that have recently had a birthday. 

Maybe you know of some books that might be celebrating their birthday next year. 

You might like to design and plan a birthday celebration for one of these, or one of your own books. Here is one of my absolute favourite books, and it just happens to be celebrating its 40th Birthday this year. 

Do you know this book?

That means 40 years ago this year, (in 1983) author Mem Fox and illustrator Julie Vivas created a picture book that continues to enchant the young and young at heart to this day.

In this story, Grandma Poss loves making magic. She makes wombats blue and kookaburras pink. She makes dingoes smile and emus shrink. But one day, when danger arrives in the form of a snake, Grandma uses her most magical spell to make Hush invisible.

Hush has many wonderful adventures. But being invisible isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Hush longs to see herself again. One problem. Grandma Poss can’t find the spell to make Hush visible again. And then she remembers...this particular magic requires something more, something special, something to do with food...people food.

Possum Magic takes us on a whimsical journey to cities around Australia to find the food that makes Hush visible again.

I know of another Mem Fox and Julie Vivas book that will be celebrating its 40th Birthday next year. I wonder if you know what book that might be?