PASSIONATE ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Book Week is arguably the biggest event in the school library calendar. Book Week gives us an excuse to celebrate reading, Australian literature, school libraries and the people who bring books to children – from booksellers to school library staff, parents, teachers and beyond.
The theme for Book Week 2023 is Read, Grow, Inspire.
I love that just as we finish Book Week for the year the following year’s theme is announced. So, now that we have made it through Book Week 2022 it’s time to turn our attention to Book Week 2023.
Without further ado, the theme for Book Week 2023 is Read, Grow, Inspire.
I am super excited that the Wednesday of Book Week 2022, the 24th of August 2022, has been named Australian School Library Day. The Students Need School Libraries campaign, in partnership with the CBCA, have worked to make this day just another feature of the Book Week calendar.
Book Week is often one of the biggest events in the school library calendar. Book Week throws into the light the importance of reading, school libraries, children’s literature and Australian literature. It is a chance to celebrate all of that and more.
The theme for Book Week 2022 is Dreaming With Eyes Open… The theme is decided and announced each year by the Children’s Book Council of Australia and they do an amazing job of creating resources that fit the theme and official artwork.
Yes, I know it feels like we only just made it through Book Week 2021, but it’s time to talk about Book Week 2022. The theme has been announced. The illustrator has been announced. The official artwork has been teased. Let’s talk Book Week 2022.
Drum roll please….. The theme for Book Week 2022 is Dreaming With Eyes Open…
Well, as I write this, I can hardly believe that Book Week is over. At the same time, I feel so tired it might as well be the end of the year.
I love Book Week. Love the buzz it brings to my school and library. Love the excitement it generates online. Love how it gives libraries, books and reading the spotlight they deserve. Love how my school’s marketing team suddenly want to talk about what’s happening in the Library because the Book Week tag is good for their SEO. But this year, Book Week kind of took a back seat for me.
In previous years, in previous roles, I’d shape my whole planning around Book Week, the theme and the activities I had planned for the year. My new role and the tasks I’ve taken on this year, along with the climate of sudden lockdowns and online learning challenged me to look at Book Week in a different light and to reevaluate my planning and approach to this very special week.
Book Week has officially begun in Australia at the time this post will go live. If you are reading this is 2021, you might be needing a costume right at the last minute. Or maybe you are reading this in preparation for next year. In any case, it’s always handy to have a costume backup. And these ideas are good, not just for Book Week but any dress-up occasion.
Book Week, especially the costume parades, can be particularly stressful for parents, students and staff. It seems there is always a last minute rush for costume ideas. It’s a busy time of the year and having a costume you can pull together with things you’ll find around the house is handy.
I love Book Week. Maybe as a teacher librarian that would be obvious but I also know it’s a high-stress and very busy time. Book Week is all about celebrating reading, Australian literature and libraries. However, I have seen first hand when the stress and requirements of the big events can overwhelm the joy.
I personally and strongly believe that Book Week should be fun for everyone. But I know that might not always be the case. Time and time again I have seen that the most stressful element of Book Week celebrations are often the character dress-ups. On the other hand, these character parades are often the highlight of Book Week celebrations. The joy of seeing the children and teen’s faces as they celebrate all things books and reading is so worth it. If we can make costumes easier, hopefully Book Week will be easier for parents, students and staff.
I am going to share below some simple Book Week book character dress up ideas that you can create with things you’ll find in the family’s wardrobes. While there are plenty of ideas, I’ve tried to use a range of books from picture books to YA fiction. I’ve also included some more obscure ideas, in case you want a unique costume and Australian fiction-based characters.
You’ll find below costume ideas for individuals, as well as pairs and groups.
Print out a copy of the book cover and attach it to your costume in some way. You could safety pin it to the front or back of your costume or attach it to string or a lanyard around your neck. It makes it easy for others to see who you are dressed up as, relates it back to the book (which, let’s not forget, what it’s all about) and can make even a simple outfit a character-related costume.
I love Book Week. Working across a few libraries in the past few years, I have found that despite the different cultures and focus of each library, Book Week remained the highlight of the library calendar. Yet, despite the fun, it does take a lot of work and a lot of planning. Fortunately, there are lots of resources available to help.
The theme for Book Week 2021 is Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds. #OWNWOW
When pulling together a plan for Book Week, it can be a little overwhelming, so I am sharing a few helpful links I’ve come across.
Just request to join the board and start pinning.
Please leave any suggestions for the Group or Board, comments or ideas and feedback below. This is an experiment that I hopes help us coordinate a massive event and makes it a little easier for library staff. All feedback welcomed.
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