CHAMPION READERS: Amelie Staniforth, 4 and Reggie Staniforth, 3 get into the spirit of Book Week. Photo LUKE SCHUYLER 0821lsbookweek
Lachlan Crossman, 4, is a champion reader. Photo: LUKE SCHUYLER 0821lsbookweek1
LITTLE Amelie and Reggie Staniforth sure know what this year’s Children’s Book Week theme is; Champions Read.
The pair attended yesterday morning’s Storytime session at Orange City Library which, this year, is playing host to a Book Week display.
Acting librarian Peter Douglass said the library supported Book Week every year.
“This year’s theme is really relevant because kids find their champions in books,” he said. “It also shows that the best read, that the kids who read are the kids who achieve.”
Children’s Book Week doesn’t only apply to the kids; it’s a good point for discussion among the adults too.
“It has the ability to get everyone thinking,” Mr Douglass said. “A few years ago there was a book called The Rabbits that was about the invasion, and that caused quite a controversy. It’s good to get people thinking about these things.”
Mr Douglass is a strong advocate of the library’s Storytime sessions, which run every week. He says the aim of the program is to create lifelong readers by introducing them to the library and to regular reading at an early age.
“It’s so important to get them into a routine of reading while they’re still young,” he said. “I just don’t think kids read enough. There’s just so many distractions ... so many other more exciting activities like the Xbox. After all that, some kids find it hard to sit down with a book and have that quiet time with a book.”
The library’s reading program must be working, as each Storytime session is booked out.
All Storytime sessions, held by Fiona Hawke, have a theme and a craft activity matched to the books that are read.
