Principal's Reading Challenge, Book Fair & Book Week
Principal’s Reading Challenge
The annual Principal’s Reading Challenge is taking place during Term 3. All students are encouraged to participate.
- Students in Prep to Year 2 will enjoy listening to storybooks in the classroom with the target of 30 books.
- Students in Years 3 to 6 will have the opportunity to read their own choice of books and keep a record over the term.
Certificates will be awarded at the end of Term 3 to recognise the reading achievements of the students. We hope the students will enjoy taking part in the challenge!
Helen Broderick
Principal's Reading Challenge Coordinator
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair was held in the Library from Friday 31 July to Thursday 6 August. Students were able to visit the Book Fair during their Library time to browse and choose items for their wish list. Families were invited to attend the Book Fair to purchase items before school from 8.45am until 9am and after school from 3.30pm until 3.45pm.
Proceeds from the Book Fair help to supply our Library with the wonderful, engaging stories and texts that are on offer and we hope it provides your family with the opportunity to add to your own home library.
Thank you for the support of this fundraising activity. e hope you enjoy your purchases.
Book Week Dress Up Day & Parade
At EHPS, we will celebrate Book Week on Friday 4 September. Students are encouraged to dress up as a favourite book character, and if you have it, bring the book that inspired the costume. Families are invited to join in the fun at the start of the day for a parade in the Stadium gymnasium at 9am.
Book Week 2026
The CBCA Book Week in 2026 is from Saturday 22 August to Friday 28 August and the theme is ‘Symphony of Stories’.
Talented illustrator, the fabulous Briony Stewart, award-winning author-illustrator of ‘Gymnastica Fantastica’ and other children’s books, has created the artwork for Book Week 2026.
‘I decided to try and show what stepping into a symphony of stories might be like. A huge colourful collection of characters bursting out of a book representing their different stories with weird and wonderful instruments.’ – Briony Stewart
Book Week 2026 Shortlist
Older Readers
Of Flame and Fury, Mikayla Bridge (Macmillan Australia)
Darkest Night, Brightest Star, Barry Jonsberg (Allen & Unwin)
This Stays Between Us, Margot McGovern (Penguin Random House Australia)
We Saw What You Started, Carla Salmon (Pan Australia)
Golden, Jade Timms (Text Publishing)
Unhallowed Halls, Lili Wilkinson (Allen & Unwin)
Younger Readers
Run, Sarah Armstrong (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces, Sally Barton, illustrated by Christopher Nielsen (Walker Books Australia)
Little Bones, Sandy Bigna (University of Queensland Press)
Spirit of the Crocodile, Aaron Fa’aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White (Allen & Unwin)
The Paperbark Tree Committee, Karys McEwen (Text Publishing)
Inked, Karen Wasson, illustrated by Jake A Minton (Figment Books)
Early Childhood
The Thing About Christmas, Jo Dabrowski, illustrated by Briony Stewart (Little Book Press)
Derek, Anne Donaldson, illustrated by Matt Shanks (Little Hare)
Frogs Are Our Friends, Toni D’Alia, Madeline White (Bright Light)
My Nonno Loves, Adelle Frittitta, illustrated by Claudia Frittitta (Little Hare)
The Colours of Home, Sally Soweol Han (Thames and Hudson Australia)
The Emperor’s Egg, Rae Tan (Lothian Children’s Books)
Picture Book of the Year
Bob and Dob, Sean E Avery (Walker Books Australia)
Tiwi in Paris, Glen Farmer Illortaminni (Thames and Hudson Australia)
Dear Broccoli, Cate James, text by Jo Dabrowski (Affirm Press)
Dawn, Marc Martin (Walker Books Australia)
The Frog’s First Song, Jason Phu, text by Jazz Money (University of Queensland Press)
Once I was a Giant, Zeno Sworder (Thames and Hudson Australia)
Eve Pownall Award
There’s a Prawn in Parliament House: The Kids’ Guide to Australia’s Amazing Democracy, Annabel Crabb, illustrated by First Dog on the Moon (Allen & Unwin)
A Loo of One’s Own, Eleri Harris (Allen & Unwin)
Peculiar Parents, Stephanie Owen Reeder, illustrated by Ingrid Bartkowiak (NLA Publishing)
The Thylacine and the Time Machine, Renée Treml (Allen & Unwin)
Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles, Corey Tutt, Ben Williams (Allen & Unwin)
Ningaloo, Tim Winton, illustrated by Cindy Lane (Fremantle Press)
New Illustrator
Save the Gum Trees, Bees and Big Blue Seas, Luke John Matthew Arnold (Scholastic Press)
Beyond the Shore, Mark Chester Harding, text by Kirli Saunders (Scholastic Press)
A Loo of One’s Own, Eleri Harris (Allen & Unwin)
Prayer for a River, Uncle Glenn Loughrey, text by Andrew Kelly & Uncle Glenn Loughrey (Wild Dog Books)
A Farm by the Sea, Jillian Packer (Berbay Publishing)
Being Indy, Estee Sarsfield, text by Zoe Gaetjens (WestWords Children’s)
