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Everything You Need to Know About Book Week 2022
Book Week is an annual event that encourages children across the country to get involved in literacy and reading. It includes events at libraries, bookstores and schools, celebrating at home, dressing up in costumes, and interacting with authors and book champions. There’s a book-related theme each year that ties the events together, and 2022’s theme is ‘Dreaming with Eyes Open’.
Book Week 2022 will be held from 20-26 August, and All Saints’ College is planning to create some amazing events and teaching activities your children will love. Past themes have explored a range of different literary concepts, such as 2021’s ‘Old Worlds, New Worlds and Other Worlds’ which open the doors of fantasy and discovering mystery.
Dreaming with Eyes Open focuses on Australia’s First Nations People and celebrates their rich story-telling culture. We’re excited to host a wonderful Book Week for students this year and to explore many excellent Indigenous books and stories. Here we explain what happens in Book Week, discuss the 2022 theme in more detail and provide some costume ideas.
What happens during Book Week?
Book Week is organised by The Children’s Book Council Australia (CBCA), with a different theme each year. Book Week is a nationwide initiative, with libraries and bookstores as involved as schools. Within schools, students read stories together, discuss the narratives and perform book-related activities. Events are run to celebrate literacy and help children find enjoyment and enrichment in understanding new stories and considering different worldviews.
In celebration of books, students can dress up in costumes for Book Week, which can reflect the 2022 theme or have a more general literary context. During Book Week we create activities to help every child form stronger relationships with books and reading.
Celebrating Book Week
At All Saints’ College, Book Week is an exciting time with an atmosphere of celebration and fun. By creating a colourful visual environment and extra reading time, we encourage an engaging and exciting relationship with books and literature. Our students are always eager to get involved in different ways and learn from a range of books.
Costume design and creation
Dressing up as their favourite characters or thematic ideas is a quick and effective way to encourage students’ involvement in Book Week and reading in general. Costumes do not have to be elaborate or expensive; often the best costumes are handmade or created with bits and pieces from around the house. Why not go the extra mile and support a local Western Australian author by dressing in a character from their book?
Book cover illustration activities
Children love to draw, and they don’t need any special skills or to be advanced artists to make a great book cover that reflects who they are. During Book Week students could illustrate their own book cover and showcase it to their peers, which helps them to draw connections between illustrations and stories.
Reading nooks and group storytelling
During Book Week special emphasis and time are given to reading and supporting children in their understanding of books. We do this through reading in nooks and having group reading time, where students can discuss books with their classmates and talk about what they liked about each one. Our libraries – Nexus-J and Nexus-S – will be getting in on the act with a host of activities planned for the week.
Explaining the theme
Dreaming with Eyes Open is the national theme for Book Week this year. It centres on Australia’s First Nations People, their history and their rich story-based culture. The artwork for the 2022 posters was developed by Darug woman Jasmine Seymour. Her illustration in the picture book Baby Business won the CBCA New Illustrator Award.
The theme is about creating and living in your own story, while reflecting on ancient history and listening to Country as the first storyteller. Stepping into your own story means adapting the theme to your own dreams and ambitions, and taking the knowledge of history to power your growth. With such a wonderful theme this year, All Saints’ College is harnessing a wide scope to reflect on Indigenous culture, and we’re excited to make the week as enjoyable as possible for students.