Book Week 2024
By Ms Shellee Nikolaou and Mrs Tanya Priest-Willimott, Teacher Librarians
Junior School
During Term 3, library lessons in the Junior School focused on how and why we expressed preferences for particular books. Students considered the shortlist produced by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) and considered the books chosen as the best books written by Australian authors in each category.
The celebrations really came alive during Book Week which was held from Monday 19 August to Friday 23 August. The CBCA theme this year was Reading is Magic. It was wonderful to have specialist teachers read stories to the students during recess and lunch time, either in the library or outside in the sunshine.
On Friday 23 August students came to school dressed as their favourite book character and participated in a special assembly to find out the winning books. It was a celebration of what we were reading and encouraging our community to share reading together. We could see the types of books that people in our community were reading and enjoying and we encouraged active conversations about literature.
It was wonderful to see so many students and teachers coming dressed as a book character that they admire. The assembly featured work that had occurred in library lessons, book recommendations, dancing and parading of costumes and even featured some of the senior students who wished to participate and share their costumes as well. A House meeting followed the parade which was all about getting together and reading books across all the year levels.
Thank you to everyone for the consideration and time that went into making these costumes.
By Ms Susan Davenport, Head of Library and Information Services
The 5-12 Library
The love of reading is alive and well at Radford College!
The annual Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book Week has been running for 79 years, promoting and recognising the Australian children’s publishing industry through Book of the Year awards.
At Radford we celebrate not only the nominated titles, but encourage reading the books that resonate with students, with particular focus on Australian titles.
The 5-12 Library offered a range of activities including a fiendish book title emoji competition, displays of Australian fiction, and art and craft activities to tie in with the love of reading and libraries. Years 7-12 students loved making a library in a tin, while 5-6 students created elaborate bookmarks to support the long reading nights ahead.
As ever, our borrowing figures remain high with students able to access current and relevant books in print, audiobook, and ebook formats.
Our students were highly encouraged to dress in book or cultural themed costume/accessories for Friday, to connect with the Junior School Book Parade and Languages Week. This year rainbow fairies, Hogwarts , minions, Dr Seuss, manga, and 100 Acre Woods characters all made an appearance. Years 11-12 students revisited their childhood and visited the Junior School Book Parade, much to the delight of the students there.
Thanks go to our 5-12 Library and Information Services team for their work in putting together all the facets of Book Week, and their ongoing commitment towards supporting the 5-12 Library and our staff and students: Miss Stephanie Bullock, Mrs Jennie Gibbs, Ms Tracy Kelly, Mrs Debbie Meany, Ms Shellee Nikolaou, and Mrs Angela Spencer.
We appreciate the Radford community’s commitment to fostering the love of reading, and the effort and creativity to create the costumes by families, students, and staff, and encourage you all to keep finding the magic in books!