Reading is Magic – Children’s Book Week 2024

Children’s Book Week is occurring from 17-23 August 2024. The week is to celebrate reading stories and their ‘amazing power to transport minds’. The theme for this year is “Reading Is Magic”. The week also aims to ‘encouraging kids to be curious about the wonders in our world”.

Reading certainly is ‘magic’ and research shows the wide-reaching benefits across education, literacy, and health that reading from an early age can have. It also demonstrates the considerable influence that parents and families play in establishing reading habits – both as facilitators and demonstrators of reading themselves.

Recent research has found that three-year-olds who can name a favourite book are better readers at the age of seven, and children who were exposed to more storybooks when younger showed a greater inclination to read for pleasure at a later age. These children had more advanced literacy skills as adolescents.

Importantly, children who experienced reading with a caregiver were more likely to read independently once their reading skills develop.

Damien Effeney, proud Dad and CEO of Brookies Rural Traders, has always loved reading to his three girls. His favourite childhood book is ‘The Giving Tree’. Damien says “It’s such a meaningful insight into being human; it deals with life, regret, love, friendship, heartache and loss in a simple beautiful way.”

Busy Grandmother Donna Hewlett, with granddaughters in Ashgrove and The Gap, loved reading to her two (now adult) sons, and has continued the joy by reading with her granddaughters as often as she can. “It’s such a special way to bond with them. I love seeing their little faces when I read their favourites to them.”

Oakleigh State School students Harriet and Bonnie van Dongen, and Lotta Hewlett told me about their favourite books. Harriet (Grade 4) chose middle-school book The Whisperwicks. Harriet “loved that the boy didn’t believe in magic, but he went into the world with lots of mythical features.” Bonnie cheekily chose “Dog Man” because “He is really funny and always gets into trouble”. Lotta went for Billy B Brown, also a rascal who gets into trouble but usually comes through with a lesson in the end.

My youngest daughter Audrey (12) had a very clear favourite childhood book, “Pip and Posy and the Big Red Balloon”. She learnt the words and would often be found reciting it to herself in her room long before she could make out the actual words.

Children’s books not only transport us, but they can help children learn empathy, social skills, and about people different to ourselves. They can educate children about important people or events from history, and from our world today, all in an entertaining and engaging way.

Happy Children’s Book Week everyone!

Author and photographer: Sarah Krause

@sarahsbookchat