English News

Bringing Books to Life in Senior English

State Library Book Bash

Over the past week, our students were thrilled to take part in State Library Victoria’s Book Bash, a virtual celebration of Australian storytelling. On Tuesday, Year 5 and 6 streamed live into a workshop with the incredible Anh Do, the creative force behind the Weirdo, Ninja Kid, Wolf Girl, and the Smarty Pup series. With his trademark humour and energy, Anh shared his storytelling secrets and inspired students to dream big with their writing. The key messages for the children were philosophical and inspiring. He encouraged children to embrace the things that are different about them and celebrate their uniqueness and be proud. He also encouraged children to always have a go and not be afraid to try everything, every idea is a good idea! The children then created their own fabulous characters with interesting and unique Super Powers.

Zoe in Year 5, said that the Anh Do session was really fun and she loved listening about how he chooses his characters and their super powers.

Then, on Thursday, award-winning author Amelia Mellor, known for her Grandest Bookshop trilogy, joined Year 4 and Year 6 to teach students how to craft unforgettable story endings. Her insight into the writing process captivated the children and they thoroughly enjoyed planning their own historical fiction stories afterwards. Ryder in Year 4, had read the whole series and he found out from Amelia about the third book. He loved hearing more of the backstory and can’t wait to get his hands on the third book.

We’re so grateful for the opportunity to be part of this national literary event. Book Bash not only brought storytelling to life but also reminded us of the joy and power of imagination.

Avenue Bookstore

On Wednesday 25th we were exceptionally lucky to have Rachel from Avenue Bookstore on Glen Huntly Road visit students in Years 3 to 6 . Rachel shared a wide range of age-appropriate and engaging texts to spark reading enthusiasm. She spoke to each year level about new releases and popular titles, as well as books she enjoyed reading at their age. This helped students discover books suited to their interests and reading levels. Our students were curious and respectful throughout the sessions, asking thoughtful questions and showing genuine excitement about reading. Cohen in Year 3, said that Rachel was really kind and ‘She inspired me to read a new series, called Keeper of the Lost Cities.’ Rachel was incredibly impressed by the positive attitude and strong reading culture at St Joseph’s, praising our students as some of the most engaged readers she’s met!

Here are the books Rachel talked about. We will be purchasing some of the top picks for our class libraries.