Library 

CBCA Book Week 2026 – A Symphony of Stories in the Middle School 

Article by Paige Witcombe, Library Leader  

A sign of a successful Book Week is seeing students actively engaging with the library, books and reading - and this year, the Middle School was certainly buzzing! Our “Symphony of Stories” celebrations brought creativity, laughter and plenty of students through the library doors throughout the week. 

A special highlight was welcoming author and illustrator Judith Rossell to our Middle School Assembly. Judith captivated students as she shared her journey as an author and illustrator, giving them an honest insight into what it takes to develop a career in these fields. One of her key messages was particularly encouraging: you don't have to be the best writer or artist at school - Judith shared that she wasn't! Instead, she encouraged students to be passionate about what they do, practise their craft, be persistent and be resourceful in finding ways to share their work with others. Her message was a wonderful reminder that creativity can grow over time and that success often comes from perseverance rather than simply being the most talented. 

One of the biggest highlights was our Book Week Photobooth. Long queues formed outside the library as students eagerly waited for their turn to take photos with their friends using our collection of fun book-themed props and social media frame. The laughter and creativity continued as students experimented with imaginative poses and group photos. Perhaps the biggest measure of success was seeing many students return to the library first thing the following morning, excited to collect their printed photobooth photos! 

Our badge-making station was another popular activity, with students creating colourful and creative designs inspired by their favourite books, characters and Book Week. The library also welcomed our budding artists, who used their before-school, recess and lunchtime to create masquerade masks and rainbow-coloured scratch masks. Students also had the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents through our “Transform a Musical Note into a Book Character” competition.  

Our Short Story Competition provided another opportunity for students to respond creatively to the Symphony of Stories theme. We were impressed by the range of imaginative ideas, characters and stories submitted. Congratulations to all our winners and runners-up – we will highlight these in a future edition of the newsletter.  

We finished the week with a fantastic Harry Potter Trivia competition, hosted by members of the Student Representative Council (SRC) Elliot S., Jacob D. and Ayrton B., who got into the spirit by dressing in Harry Potter robes and ties (special mention to Jacob. D who dressed as a Dementor!). More than ten teams competed, with additional teams unfortunately having to be turned away because we simply couldn't fit any more students into the library! 

While we may have missed out on a traditional dress-up day this year, the enthusiasm and creativity of our students throughout the week more than made up for it. From reading and writing to art, trivia, photography, craft and meeting a published author, Book Week provided countless opportunities for students to connect with stories in different ways. 

Thank you to every student who participated, created, competed, read, laughed and helped make Book Week 2026 such a memorable celebration of books and the library. 📚

🎵✨  Next week’s edition of Whispers will be dedicated to the Senior School Book Week celebrations, with a full wrap-up of the activities, events and highlights from the Senior School Library.