| … and how to keep the Book Week spirit strong all year round! |
Every August, classrooms around the country come alive with the magic of stories as schools celebrate Children’s Book Week. In 2025, this much-loved event marks a milestone 80th year, running from 16 to 23 August under the theme ‘Book an Adventure!’.
Since its beginning in 1945, when the Children’s Book Council of Australia launched the very first Book Week with the theme ‘United Through Books’, this tradition has become a cornerstone of school life. Its purpose has always been the same: to inspire a love of reading and to highlight the importance of books in connecting children to ideas, each other, and the world.
It’s no secret that Book Week has become synonymous with costume parades. For many students, this is one of the highlights of their year, but for families under financial strain the pressure to purchase costumes can make the week stressful. That’s why we wanted to consider some ways which school communities can help remove that burden and return the focus to what matters most: the joy of stories and the adventures they take us on.
A costume donation drive is a wonderful way to do this. By inviting families to pass on outfits their children have outgrown, schools can create a space where every student has the chance to join in without cost. Setting up a costume drive or donation area in the school office or in each classroom in the lead-up to Book Week can help to relieve the financial burden or help time-poor families while promoting community spirit and sustainability.
Of course, Book Week isn’t only about costumes. It’s about celebrating stories in every form. Encouraging students to bring along a favourite book, whether it’s a dog-eared copy from home, a library loan, or a new discovery from the classroom shelves, shifts the focus back to the stories themselves. Reading aloud, hosting book clubs, or even creating simple props together in class lets students showcase what excites them about their chosen tale, alleviating the extra expectations on families, without passing the burden onto busy teachers.
This year’s theme, ‘Book an Adventure!’, is the perfect invitation to help children see that books are not just entertainment but gateways to courage, kindness, and imagination. As part of your classroom activities, you might encourage students to identify a ‘character hero’ from their story; someone they admire for their bravery, creativity, or compassion. Encourage students to think about how they could emulate that character’s values in their own lives. Whether it’s standing up for a friend like Ron Weasley, showing resilience like Percy Jackson, or embracing curiosity like the characters in Enid Blyton’s stories, these moments help children see that heroes don’t only exist on the page. They can become everyday role models who inspire each other to be their best selves.
Inclusion during Book Week also means honouring the different ways students connect with stories. Some children may prefer graphic novels or audiobooks, while others treasure the oral storytelling of their families or communities. Creating space for students to share a folk tale from home, or to read in their first language, not only validates their identity but enriches the classroom community. Families, too, can be involved without financial burden. Instead of purchasing new books, they could be invited to donate a pre-loved book for a swap table, record a bedtime story to share with the class, or join a family reading afternoon where they simply sit and enjoy a story with small groups of students.
Perhaps the most powerful way to celebrate Book Week is to ensure its spirit lasts beyond one week in August. You might start using a reading diary where students log their latest discoveries, such as our ReadingTrek Student Diary, or create a ‘weekly spotlight’ or book show and tell, where each student shares a book that matters to them. The adventures begun during Book Week can then ripple across the year.
Book Week has always been about more than costumes and parades. It is about the adventures we find in stories, the heroes who inspire us, and the connections we build through reading. By leading with kindness, inclusivity, and creativity, teachers can ensure that every child, regardless of their background, feels included in the magic. In the end, the most memorable part of Book Week isn’t what students wear, but the stories they share, the heroes they discover, and the sense of adventure they carry with them long after the week is over.