Dear Parents and Carers,

Each year since 1945 the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. This year we celebrate Children’s Book Week from 20th – 26th August. During this time schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators.

At Melton West Primary School teachers and students create colourful displays, develop activities, run competitions and tell stories relating to the theme to highlight the importance of reading. We also have a have a parade with students dressed as their favourite book character. We are looking forward to this as we haven’t been able to have one for a couple of years. Unfortunately Ms Dearing won’t be here this year to wow us with her costume!

There is also a performance by author/illustrator Martin Ed Chatterton who has been writing, illustrating and performing for over thirty years. He has appeared extensively at schools, festivals, conferences, TV and radio around the world. His books for children and adults have been published in more than a dozen languages, and have won or been shortlisted for multiple awards in the UK, US and Australia.

The nominees in BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS

(Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers from the middle to upper primary years. 7-12 years) are :

Dragon Skin - Karen Foxlee,

The Detective's Guide to Ocean Travel - Nicki Greenberg,

Huda and Me - H. Hayek,

A Glasshouse of Stars - Shirley Marr,

Exit Through the Gift Shop- Maryam Master - ill. Astred Hicks,

Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief - Katrina Nannestad

The nominees in BOOK OF THE YEAR: EARLY CHILDHOOD

(Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading. Ages 0-6 years) are:

When the Waterhole Dries Up - Kaye Baillie, ill. Max Hamilton

What Do You Call Your Grandma? - Ashleigh Barton, ill. Martina Heiduczek

Walk of the Whales - Nick Bland

Amira's Suitcase - Vikki Conley, ill. Nicky Johnston

Jetty Jumping - Andrea Rowe, ill. Hannah Sommerville

Winston and the Indoor Cat - Leila Rudge

The nominees in THE PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

(Entries in this category should be outstanding books of the Picture Book genre in which the author and illustrator achieve artistic and literary unity or, in wordless picture books, where the story, theme or concept is unified through illustrations. Ages 0-18 years. (NB. Some of these books may be for mature readers) are:

The Boy and the Elephant - Freya Blackwood

Blue Flower - Gabriel Evans - text. Sonya Hartnett

Stellarphant - James Foley

The Inheritance - Armin Greder

Just One Bee - Christopher Nielsen, text. Margrete Lamond & Anthony Bertini

Iceberg - Jess Racklyeft. text. Claire Saxby

Happy Reading!

Kind regards

Jennifer O’Connor

Assistant Principal.

Community