With children spending more time than ever on screens, local schools are showing that Book Week has never been more important, with colourful costumes and favourite storybook characters synonymous with the celebration.
Book Week is about much more than dressing up. It’s about inspiring a lifelong love of reading and reminding kids of the power of storytelling.
Adam Knights from Beenleigh State School said Book Week brought books to life at the primary school.
“It’s such a celebration. Mental imagery becomes tangible. It is a highlight for the Beenleigh community as we share the common goal to celebrate the schools success and approach to reading,” Mr Knights said.
For many children, the celebration provides an opportunity to explore new stories, discover different authors and experience books in a fun and engaging way through classroom activities, reading sessions and costume parades.
“We always have an amazing parade with students,” Mr Knights said.
Data from Google Trends shows search interest in Book Week starts around February each year, with interest surging around June to August as parents finalise costumes for school Book Week parades.
The data shows Harry Potter costumes remain a strong search term, although the Hogwarts favourite has been overtaken by comic book character Spider-Man this year.
There’s consistently search interest in costumes for Australian favourite Bluey, as well as classics Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy, and Cat in the Hat.
Google Trends shows relative search interest, not raw search numbers. It is a way to compare interest over time, between topics or across locations.
While digital devices have become part of everyday life, Mr Knight said books were still continuing to offer something unique.
“Celebrating books and the skills of the author in bringing ideas to life is central to how students… value storytelling,” Mr Knights said.
“We all learn through books whether it’s a moral tale or simply to expand our perspective,” he said.
Students at Beenleigh State School were treated to a visit by author Ros Goldsbrough who read her new book Way to go gecko.
Reading not only helps children develop literacy skills, but also encourages imagination, empathy, creativity and critical thinking.
One of the biggest challenges schools now face is encouraging students to choose books when so much entertainment is available at the touch of a screen.
“We believe that reading is a life skill and that will never change. Digital entertainment is great but it can’t compete with our students imagination and personalities that we see so much through reading, writing and discussion,” Mr Knights said.
As schools across Logan celebrate Book Week, celebrations encourage students to put down their screens, pick up a book and discover that sometimes the greatest adventures begin by the turn of the first page.
*This content is part of a paid partnership with Google to promote Google Trends.
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