Book Week at the College never disappoints, but this year’s theme, Book an Adventure, really let imaginations run wild. Pirates, superheroes, explorers, and more dinosaurs than you’d find in Jurassic Park paraded through the Sports Centre and roamed the campus. The joy on students’ faces was utterly contagious.

Sharing Stories Across Year Levels

One of the standout highlights came on Read and Relax Day. Our Year 9 students paired up with the Year 3s, and our Year 1 students shared stories with Year 7s. The Year 1 and 3 students absolutely adored the experience, but what was perhaps even more heartening was how much the older students enjoyed themselves too. Sharing a story doubles the fun. 

These simple moments revealed the best in both groups. The younger children delighted in being noticed and valued by older peers, while the older students experienced the fulfilment of having their time and skills so warmly received.

Reading Together: The Real Magic

We often picture reading as a solitary pursuit, tucked away in a quiet corner with a gripping novel. But Book Week showed us that the real magic of books lies in sharing them. There was nothing solitary about our Book Week Parade and you should have seen the dancing at the end! It was a joyful celebration of the adventures and characters we find in books, made all the richer by experiencing them together.

The Decline in Reading and Australia’s Data Snapshot

Sadly, outside of Book Week, the bigger picture tells us that reading for pleasure is in decline both here in Australia and around the world.

Even in this modern age of easy access to printed and digital material, fewer people are picking up books for enjoyment.

• Children 5–8 years: 76% read for pleasure (ABS data)
• Children 12–14 years: only 63% still do
• Teens: just 15% read daily, while one-third don’t read for pleasure at all during the school term (Deakin University study)
• Adults (15+): 69% read for enjoyment, down from 72% in 2019 (National Arts Participation Survey)
• Adults (16+): almost 30% didn’t read a single book last year, and 50% say they want to read more but struggle to find the time (Monash University Lens)
  

It’s easy to see why. Life is busy, screens are distracting, and at the end of a long day, it often feels simpler to collapse in front of a TV than open a novel. But here’s the thing: our children are watching us. If they see us reading, whether it’s a paperback, an e-book, or even listening to an audiobook on the school run, they learn that reading isn’t just for school. It’s for life.

Sneaking Vegetables as Inspiration

In our Kitchen Garden program, we’ve seen how a little creativity helps children embrace vegetables; sometimes it’s calling broccoli “little trees,” sometimes it’s grating carrots into a bolognese or turning zucchini into noodles. The same principle works for reading. A little creativity, a few “sneaky” habits, and suddenly reading becomes a natural part of family life.

With a dash of creativity and some simple family habits, reading becomes something that feels natural and joyful every day. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Parent Hacks for Sneaking More Reading into Life

• Car time = story time. Audiobooks turn traffic jams into adventures. (Bonus: no one asks “Are we there yet?” when they’re mid-chapter.)
• Swap stories. Share your favourite childhood books. Kids love hearing what makes you laugh or dream.
• Flip the script. Instead of “What’s your book about?” ask “Which character would you be?” or “What ending would you write?”
• Challenge their thinking. With older kids, try: “Did this story make you see something differently?” or “Would this work in real life?”
• Read the weird stuff. Comics, recipe books, sport stats, music lyrics; if it’s words on a page, it counts.
• Mini rituals. Ten minutes before bed, over breakfast, or while dinner simmers. Small, regular moments make reading feel natural.
• Be seen reading. Kids copy what they see. Pick up a book, scroll an e-book, or pop on an audiobook; just let them catch you enjoying it.
  

So, as we look back on the fun of Book Week, let’s keep the adventures alive. To Book an Adventure doesn’t require plane tickets, passports, or even shoes. All it takes is opening a book.

Because at the end of the day, the best way to help our children Book an Adventure… is to book one ourselves, too.

Mike Curtis, Principal