Book Week 2012 - Part 2

Book Week is the longest running children’s festival in Australia. The whole of Australia celebrated its 65th Birthday in 2010. This year Book week will be running from Saturday the 18th to Friday the 24th of August. Many schools and public libraries from all over Australia spend this week celebrating books as well as Australian authors and illustrators every year. Teachers and librarians Australia wide develop activities, offer competitions and tell stories that all relate to a theme.

The theme for 2012 is … Champions Read…

 The Polar Express is a children’s book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg in 1985. It follows the story of a doubting boy on Christmas Eve as he boards a magical train that’s headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus’ home. So you can dress as the conductor of the train, a cheery elf or even the main character 

for book week.

 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland) is a classic tale written by Engish author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the name Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar creatures. It is a tale which plays with logic and is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. You can dress up as the classic Alice with the blue dress and white apron or you can put on a red, black and white dress with hearts and go as the Queen of hearts. Don’t like those ideas? Well you can also go as the rabbit, the caterpillar or even the Cheshire cat.

 The Indian in the Cupboard is a children’s book written by British author Lynne Reid Banks and illustrated by Brock Cole. It is a story about a young boy (Omri) who receives a cupboard for his birthday which he uses to bring a plastic Native American figurine to life. You can dress as a Native American for book week or even his rival a cowboy.

 

The Little Prince is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It is a story about a little prince who is a little blonde boy who approached the narrator when he crashed his plane in the Sahara desert to draw him a sheep. The story then follows on from there. So you can dress as an airplane pilot with an aviator set or go as the prince in a green shirt and pants set and a red belt and bow tie.

 

Peter Pan was a character who was created by novelist J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan pays a visit to the Darling family when he loses his shadow he is discovered by Wendy. He then takes them to Never Never Land where an ongoing war with the evil Pirate Captain Hook is taking place. Characters that you can dress as for book week are a plenty. They include Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook, Tinkerbelle, the mermaids, the lost boys and the Indians.

 Stuart Little is a novel written by E.B. White in 1945. It was his first children’s book and is to this day recognised as a classic in children’s literature. The whole adventure begins when the Little family adopt the charming young mouse named Stuart. The family cat really dislikes him and therefore wants to get rid of him. You can go as Stuart little by putting on a red jumper, Khaki pants and red converse as well as wearing some mouse ears and nose.

 

The Wind in the Willows is a classic tale written by Kenneth Grahame which was first published in 1908. It focuses on four characters in a pastoral version of England. The story begins when Mole has spring fever and wanders in the fields and meadows where he finds himself by a river. It is then that he meets the Water Rat who invites Mole into his boat. So you have a choice of going as the Mole or the Water Rat for book week this year.

 The Grimms Brothers have written many fairytales over their time but one of the most popular is the tale of Cinderella and her magic glass slipper. There have been many adaptations to the story from there on. Cinderella is a young woman who is a servant to her 2 step-sisters and step-mother. It was the night of the Prince’s ball where she meets her true love and loses her glass slipper. So dress as Cinderella this book week with a lovely blue gown and sparkling tiara.

The Hobbit is a fantasy novel and children’s book written by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is the story of a curious Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins who journeys to the Lonely Mountain with a vigorous group of Dwarves to reclaim a treasure stolen from them by the dragon Smaug. Dress as a Hobbit this year with some baggy brown shorts with suspenders and a long brown cloak and add some hair to your bare feet and put on a short curly brown wig. 

 Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a non-fiction children’s book written by American author Eleanor Coerr. It is a true story of Sadako who lived in Hiroshima during the time of the atomic bombing. She developed leukemia from the radiation and spent all her time while she was ill making paper cranes. She believed that the creator of a thousand cranes would be granted a wish and her wish was to live. Sadly she only made 644 before she passed but her family and friends continued making them for her and they were buried with her. So put on a Japanese Kimono and carry your origami paper cranes to honour the champion Sadako.