Book Week Activities & Resources for Primary Schools

CBCA Book Week 2026: Symphony of Stories

Children's Book Week 2026 runs from 22 to 28 August, with the theme "Symphony of Stories". Organised by the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA), Book Week is one of the most anticipated events on the school calendar — a celebration of Australian children's literature that brings classrooms alive with reading, costumes, and creative activities.

The 2026 theme artwork was created by award-winning illustrator Briony Stewart, known for Gymnastica Fantastica and other beloved children's books.

Key Dates for 2026

CBCA Award Categories

The CBCA Book of the Year awards recognise outstanding Australian children's literature across several categories:

• Early Childhood — books for children aged 0–6
• Younger Readers — novels for children aged roughly 7–12
• Older Readers — novels for young adults
• Picture Book of the Year — outstanding picture books for any age
• Eve Pownall Award — information books
• CBCA Award for New Illustrator — debut illustrators

The shortlisted and winning books provide ready-made reading lists for classroom libraries, shared reading, and literature study throughout the year. You can browse the full list of shortlisted and winning titles on the CBCA Awards page.

Foundation to Year 2

Young students respond to Book Week with enthusiasm — especially costumes, read-alouds, and creative activities. Focus on shared experiences with shortlisted Early Childhood and Picture Book titles.

• Character dress-up day — students come as their favourite book character and explain who they are and why they chose them
• Story retelling stations — set up activities where students retell a shortlisted book through drawing, puppets, playdough, or dramatic play
• Collaborative class mural — create a large display inspired by the theme "Symphony of Stories" — each student contributes a page or illustration from their favourite book
• Author/illustrator study — explore the work of one shortlisted author or illustrator across multiple books
• Reading buddy sessions — pair younger and older students for shared reading of shortlisted titles
• Musical stories — connect the "Symphony" theme to music: read a picture book aloud with background music, or have students create sound effects for key moments

Year 3 to Year 4

Students at this level can engage more deeply with shortlisted titles and participate in structured literacy activities.

• Book reviews — write reviews of shortlisted books for a class display or school newsletter
• Character comparison — compare characters across two or more shortlisted books using Venn diagrams or character profile cards
• Shadow judging — the class reads all shortlisted books in a category and votes on their favourite, then compares with the official CBCA winners
• Reader's theatre — adapt a scene from a shortlisted book into a script and perform it for the class or school
• Bookmark and poster design — create promotional material for their favourite shortlisted book
• Genre exploration — use the shortlisted books to explore different genres (fantasy, realism, historical fiction, information texts)

Year 5 to Year 6

Older students can analyse shortlisted texts critically and produce sophisticated responses.

• Literary analysis — examine how an author uses language, structure, and illustration to create meaning
• Author study projects — research an Australian children's author, their body of work, and their creative process
• Write to an author — compose letters to shortlisted authors about their work (many Australian authors respond)
• Book trailer creation — produce short video trailers for shortlisted books using digital tools
• Debate and discussion — "Which shortlisted book deserves to win?" — structured debates using evidence from the texts
• Cross-text connections — how do different shortlisted books explore similar themes in different ways?

The Book Week costume parade is a highlight for students (and sometimes a source of stress for parents). Here are ideas ranging from simple to elaborate, all based on characters from Australian children's literature.

Easy Costumes (Minimal Prep)

These require items most families already have at home:

• Wombat from Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French — brown clothes and a cardboard "diary"
• Possum Magic's Hush — all white or cream clothing, can add a "magic" wand
• A kid from Tomorrow by Sam Thompson — school uniform and a homemade newspaper front page
• Treehouse character — jeans and a t-shirt with a hand-drawn "storey" number pinned on

Medium Effort Costumes

• Bluey or Bingo — blue or red/orange clothes with paper ears on a headband
• Pig the Pug — beige clothes, pug ears, and a toy to "not share"
• A character from The 78-Storey Treehouse — jeans, tool belt (cardboard), and a "building permit"
• The Very Cranky Bear — brown clothes, bear ears, and a grumpy expression

Creative/Group Costumes

• The Shortlisted Books — each student dresses as a character from a different shortlisted book
• A "Symphony" of Characters — tie into the 2026 theme by having students carry instruments (real or cardboard) alongside their book character costume
• A Walking Book Report — wear a sandwich board with the book cover on the front and a review on the back

Tips for Teachers

• Send costume information home well in advance — at least two weeks
• Emphasise that simple costumes are just as valued as elaborate ones
• Provide a few spare costume pieces for students who may not be able to prepare one at home
• Consider offering a "come as your favourite reading genre" option for students who find character costumes challenging
• Connect costumes to literacy — have students write about their character choice

A well-planned Book Week creates a school-wide culture of reading that extends far beyond the single week. Here are ideas for making the most of it.

Before Book Week

• Build anticipation — display the shortlisted books prominently in the library and classrooms from March onwards
• Reading challenges — launch a school-wide reading challenge in Term 2 that culminates during Book Week
• Author visit booking — many Australian children's authors visit schools during Book Week. Book early through publishers or directly — popular authors fill their calendars months in advance. Reading Australia is a useful resource for finding Australian authors and connecting books to curriculum outcomes
• Shortlist exploration — ensure every class has access to the shortlisted books for their relevant category

During Book Week

• Costume parade — the classic Book Week event. Include a brief "book talk" where each student names their character and book
• Guest author or illustrator — a live visit (in person or virtual) brings reading to life
• Book swap — students bring a pre-loved book and swap it for a new-to-them title
• Reading marathon — sustained silent reading sessions, reading relays, or a whole-school read-aloud
• Classroom door decorating — each class decorates their door based on a shortlisted book or the "Symphony of Stories" theme
• Library activities — story time sessions, book hunts, quiz challenges based on shortlisted titles
• Shadow judging announcement — if classes have been shadow judging, announce the school's picks before the official CBCA winners

After Book Week

• Continue using shortlisted books for reading comprehension activities, novel studies, and literature circles
• Display student work (reviews, illustrations, responses) in the school library
• Add shortlisted titles to classroom libraries for sustained independent reading
• Refer to Book Week books when teaching text types — many shortlisted books are excellent mentor texts for narrative writing, persuasive writing, and information report writing

Connecting to the Australian Curriculum

Book Week activities naturally support Australian Curriculum outcomes across multiple learning areas:

• English — literature appreciation, comprehension, responding to texts, creating texts
• The Arts — visual arts (illustrations, displays), drama (reader's theatre, performances), music (connecting to "Symphony of Stories" theme)
• HASS — exploring Australian identity and culture through literature
• Technologies — digital book trailers, multimedia presentations