Book Week magic at Napoleons

STUDENTS and staff at schools across Golden Plains spent last week celebrating the joys of reading as part of an annual national initiative aimed at nurturing budding young bookworms.

The Napoleons Primary School community was one of many to acknowledge the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book Week event.

Napoleons Primary School learning specialist and grade 5/6 teacher Judy Hutt said the week themed around Reading is Magic was filled with fun activities, particularly on Wednesday.

“Classes looked at all the books that were shortlisted during Book Week and we had our dress-up day on the Wednesday where all the kids dressed up as their favourite book character,” she said.

“The teachers dressed up for one of their favourite books, The Paper Bag Princess, and we performed a little play for that in front of the whole school.

“The children also had a parade at the end of the day showing off their costumes and the books they liked.”

The week culminated with a book fair of second-hand paperbacks brought in by the children, which was organised by members of the Junior School Council.

The school’s 80 pupils raised $129.60, paying $1 per bundle of three books. The funds will be put towards buying new learning resources.

Captain Underpants titles proved some of the most popular among book fair-goers.

“We still have a few books from the fair left over which might go into our library or be passed onto other agencies,” Ms Hutt said.

“We’re a small community out here so $130 is a lot for us.”

The town’s kindergarten also took part in the festivities with their own dress up day. They were visited by primary school students who read to them.

Ms Hutt said Book Week is an important annual initiative to inspire reading amongst young people.

“The excitement of reading for the kids during Book Week is so visible,” she said.

“You can see they want to be reading these shortlisted books, and they always look forward to the dress up day.

“It reinforces that importance of reading as far as increasing their imagination and their love of reading.”