Book Week Parades - the good and the not so good!

We have reached the end of another book week. Apart from my own childhood I have been participating and observing Children's Book Week celebrations sinch 1985. 

Components of Book Week here in Australia

• The CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Awards 

Fifteen judges read hundreds of books over about eight months; a long list (or Notables list of up to 125 titles in 5 categories) is announced in February; a short list in six categories (including New Illustrator) is announced and then in August the award winners and honour titles are announced. Hopefully over this time every school library has added many of these books to their library collections and more importantly has shared these books with groups in their libraries and with class teachers and also hopefully they might have shared other books by the nominated authors or illustrators and perhaps even explored the slogan through book choices. By the time Book Week is celebrated young readers in our Primary Schools, preschools, and High Schools should be familiar with many of the notable and short-listed books and also the slogan.

• The Book Week slogan

Twelve months before Australian Children's Book Week the CBCA announce the slogan, or some people call it the theme, and reveal the illustrator who will create the associated merchandise such as posters. Some of my favourite slogans from the past are: Sail Away with books 1987 (art by Bob Graham); Imagine if you will…. 1990 (art by Ron Brooks); Anywhere Anytime Anybook 1996 (art by Steven Woolman); Weave the Book Web 1999 (art by Junko Morimoto); Oceans of Stories 2003 (art by Armin Greder); Book Safari 2009 (art by Matt Ottley); Books light up our world 2015; Curious Creatures, Wild Minds 2020 (art by Gwyn Perkins); and Reading is Magic 2024 (art by Jess Racklyeft).

• In NSW we hold a Night of the Notables (longlist)
• In March the Shortlist is announced via a professional video
• August is Australian Children's Book Week

Now onto the topic of this post - 

• Costume Parades and dressing up for Book Week 

Here are my thoughts organised under the headings - good and no so good.

The Good:

I saw some great ideas this year. In one school the kids and the Teacher-Librarian made simple costumes at school - no pressure on parents, no 'winning' competitive parents, no need for parents to be experts at arts and crafts; everyone can be involved; no 'rich/poor' divide; and this must have been fun. Hopefully also it had the essential BOOK focus. 

Or there is this idea where children can borrow a costume (for free).

At Kingston Primary School in Tasmania's south, a book week costume library is open for business in the days leading up to the book week parade. The costumes have been donated and come with a book to match. ... Over the past three years, Ms Briant and Tasmanian independent politician, David O'Byrne, have put together costume libraries for five schools. So far, close to 300 children have borrowed outfits.

Another idea I saw was from a local school near me. The Teacher-Librarian asked the children to come dressed in a way that matched the 2025 Slogan - Book an Adventure - she wanted them to come as adventurers. (As a side note to this I also on Facebook one of our celebrity Teacher-Librarians and her library staff - she is in a private school, so she has actual library staff - all dressed up as travel agents or perhaps flight attendants - a fun way to link with the slogan).

Not so good: Here are some things to think about:

Should the costume relate to a book? My view is a resounding yes, but I did see a lot of television shows; movies; and computer game related costumes.

Should the costume book be Australian? I am not quite so adamant about this one, but I did see way too many teachers dressed up as crayons (The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt) and Alice in Wonderland (which I am going to say I doubt many of the teachers had read); Peter Pan; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Also, as usual there were lots of Where's Wally outfits and of course where would we be without Harry Potter or Snow White - easy costumes you can buy (assuming you are able to afford them) from chain stores.

Should the child carry a book if there is a parade or at least have a copy of the cover perhaps as a lanyard? My view is yes - this is all supposed to be a celebration of books and reading. 

Should the costume be for an actual book that has been READ and enjoyed by the child? Again, you know that I am going to say yes. I found it odd when I saw a young child aged 9 or 10 in a costume based on the George Orwell book Animal Farm for example. I recently read the term 'reverse engineering' - find the costume then find a book that somehow matches - I find that sad and completely the wrong way around. I also have an issue with dressing up as pirates - I saw this in a few schools and often as the costume of choice for groups of teachers. Modern day pirates are a real and terrifying. This topic needs to be treated sensitively especially if you have immigrant children in your school. It is also odd to see students in senior primary classes dressed as The Cat in the Hat or Thing One and Thing Two. Surely these are no longer the favourite books of children aged 11 or 12?

Should there be prizes? Absolutely NO in my opinion. Surely this is supposed to be a fun activity not a competition. I despair when things like this create 'winners and losers'. And this is even worse when parents think 'they' need to win!

Does the school need to have a book week dress up day? No - check out my previous posts about this. 2013; 2015; 2016; and 2022.

Thoughts from the CBCA:

Jo Panckridge is the national board chair for the Children's Book Council of Australia. She said the book week parade didn't need to be high stress for parents.

"The idea behind it being that children connect emotionally to a book or to a particular character and want to dress up and emulate them," Ms Panckridge said.

"It's since become a rush on Amazon to buy the best, biggest, blow-up marvel super hero comic outfit."

She said book week shouldn't be a chore. Ms Panckridge said book week is all about celebrating books and Australian writers.

"I would like to see it far more about reading, the love of reading, reading for pleasure and joining in creating this big youth culture where reading matters and reading is important."

The CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) turned 80 this year. The 1945 slogan was "United through Books" - that seems just as relevant today. Every CBCA State Branch organised their own celebration. I adore these images from Western Australia:

For their 80th Celebration the CBCA in South Australia gave their presenters a camellia which echoes the original prize given in 1945.

And finally this writer makes some important points:

Cora Seen and Heard by Zanni Louise

"Do you ever feel like you're living inside a shell? Something hard and impenetrable? You think it's transparent - that people can see you. Then you realise they can't. No one can see you. The real you."

I read this book in one sitting and for an hour or two I was right inside Cora's head listening to her worries and the way she tries to navigate relationships with her peers and her family.

Readers who have had previous experience with books like this - realistic middle grade fiction - are sure to work out the major plot point long before the main character but that just adds to your reading enjoyment as you keep turning the pages desperate for Cora to 'see the obvious' about the old lady who lives just down the road from her new home and also understand why Elle has secrets. 

Just after grandad dies, Cora, her sister Bekah, along with mum Wendy and Dad Hank, have moved from Queensland to a small town in Tasmania. Dad has a talent for renovation, but this project could test him. They have bought an old, run down, disused theatre. In past years this was an important place in the town because it is where the famous jazz singer Clair de Lune once performed. 

Cora finds school difficult - she is always on the outside and she finds it very hard to make friends. Moving to a new school and new town Cora is determined to reinvent herself - moving from Cora 1.0 to Cora 2.0. She does have some ideas about how to do this but once again so many things go wrong. Luckily the kids in her new class, especially Elle, do know how to make a new friend and before long Cora finds herself part of a small team who are chosen to take on a community project. 

Cora 1.0 survived in her previous school by hiding out in the library. When things go wrong in the new school she finds the library again but then the Teacher-Librarian tells her the library is going to be changed into a classroom and there will be no Teacher-Librarian employed next year. Cora knows this has to be her community project. As an aside it is interesting to see which library books are mentioned in this story - Goosebumps; Heartstopper (Young Adult graphic novel); and Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt. There are also lots of popular culture references to current musicians and bands and television shows such as The Voice. 

Here is some life advice from Cora:

• The louder your voice, the stronger you become.
• Flick your hair confidently as you follow your bestie onto the bus.
• Be amazing. You've got this.
• Find a cause.

Publisher blurb: Cora Lane gets tongue-tied, is often ignored and would rather hide in the library than step onto a stage. However, when her parents decide to renovate an old theatre in small-town Tasmania, Cora realises this is the perfect opportunity for her to reinvent her personality. Enter Cora 2.0, stage left.

When Cora quickly slips back into her old ways and has once again made friends with the librarian. rather than kids her own age, she feels lost. Frustrated she’s not the person she wants to be, she shares her deepest feelings with her imaginary pen pal. The last thing she’d expect is for her letters to go missing. And now, the real Cora Lane is about to go public, but is she ready?

This is one of those books that I have found difficult to pin down in terms of a suggested reader. Soiler alert - Cora does get her first period so that means I would say this book is for 11+. Her sister decides she is bisexual and forms a new relationship with her girlfriend. That means I would say this book is a Young Adult title. It also feels at times there is just one issue to many for the characters to grapple with - Elle has dyslexia; grandma is an alcoholic; and mum is trying to cope with the raw grief of losing her father and helping her elderly mother who now lives over 2000km away. 

The publisher offers this advice: This novel contains references to alcoholism, sexuality, puberty, abuse.

Here is a set of detailed Teacher Notes from the publisher Walker Books Australia. 

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

Brilliant in every way, Zanni Louise has created another amazing novel with a chain of personal stories and happenings about reinvention, loneliness, friendship, and family being the twine that binds things together. Kids' Book Review

Zanni Louise’s latest middle grade book focuses on the confusing feelings young people have at the age of about twelve, when primary school is finishing, when they’re hitting puberty and girls are going through lots of emotional changes and conflicts with friends and family, and where big changes can mean great upheaval – and not just a physical move or change. ... This story is as much about acceptance of the flaws in others as it is about flaws in ourselves, and the coming together of communities to celebrate the past and future. The Book Muse

What a very lovely and warm journey of self-discovery it is, and I am supremely sure that young readers will embrace this one ... Just So Stories

It was rather difficult writing the synopsis of Cora Seen and Heard as it has so many themes, all of which are explored with sensitivity, insight, and cleverly crafted writing. Reading Time

Here is another Australian book with the title Clair de Lune.  You are sure to know the famous music by Debussy but that is not especially relevant to this book because this character Clare de Lune is a jazz singer. I previously talked about another book by Zanni Louise - Queenie in seven moves. 

Companion books:

The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart

Ode to a Nobody

There's no such book by Jessica Dettmann illustrated by Jake A Minton

This book offers a fresh perspective on the whole ‘book week’ costume dilemma and should encourage young readers to think about ‘what really makes a book, a book?’ This book will enjoyed in schools and homes in the lead up to book week and it might inspire weird and wonderful costumes. (Hopefully based on books and not Disney or other commercial characters). 

There is an explosion of imaginative ideas on the cover of this book. The optimism of mum contrasts beautifully with the doubtful face of Ellie. Mum and Ellie are shown to be so different – in appearance and personality - yet they have such a wonderful and gentle bond. Mum’s patience and creativity is to be commended. Mum is creative and eccentric with wild red hair and a colourful cardigan, while Ellie is more scholarly and tidier, with neat straight black hair and a crisp school uniform. Their home is a wild and creative space – full of books, plants, tea, lamps and candlelight.

Mum and Ellie also have such gorgeous expressive faces. I especially adore mum’s huge glasses and hand knitted rainbow cardigan and you can feel the love behind the squeeze when mum hugs Ellie after telling her there will a costume solution in the morning. 

This is a single parent family but that theme is just in the background. In a poignant moment we get a hint about dad from the photo which we see early in the morning as Ellie heads down the hallway. 

The end papers come from the kitchen tiles and it interesting that the tile pattern disappears when Ellie tells her mum book week is tomorrow!

The house lighting gives the pages in this book a lovely soft glow and it is easy to identify nighttime and morning light. Mum’s collection of pot plants are also very appealing. Jake Minton has given mum and Ellie big wide eyes, the expressive faces and beautiful body language. 

There is a quiet, gentle connection between the mother and daughter and I so appreciate the love the mother shows when she makes that special book for her little girl. That lounge on the front cover looks so comfy. When you look closely you can see Mum has worked so late into the night on the new book for Ellie she didn't have the energy to put on her own pyjamas and so she wore her jumper to bed! The shared ice cream at the end of the book adds to the happy mood and assures the reader that this costume will be the perfect one for this little girl. We know she will feel that she does fit in with everyone else at their book week event. 

There's no such book was short listed for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) New Illustrator award 2023. 

Here is the judges' report: Wide eyes and expressive faces and bodies stand out creating distinct characters with a gentle connection between the mother and daughter depicted. An engaging cover and endpapers gracefully anticipate aspects of the story, while the setting is an appealing space, and the lighting gives the pages a soft glow. The colours vary on each page creating shifts in mood from the earthy reality of home to the vibrancy of the imaginative worlds; also, the use of broken white outlines lends a sgraffito element artistically, which lifts the colours. Minton has an assured illustrative style with an authentic and individual use of Procreate; he understands point-of-view, layout, colour and design.

I am not a fan of book week parades and dress up days. I worked with children who came from very poor circumstances with no family support for events like this and many could only come in play clothes or even their school uniform. On the other hand, though this book does give a lovely message about improvising a costume and there is no sense of a competition which is what it became at one of my school where wealthy parents hired costumes from a theatre company in Sydney and this is even more shocking because this was the school where some little children had no lunch, no breakfast and one parent in jail so of course they didn’t have fancy costumes to flaunt at a parade. But this is a book that I would be happy to share with a group of children in a school library - ideally in the weeks leading up to Book Week if the school is planning a dressing up event. 

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

Max's parents are actors. They own a theatre company and their home is filled with posters, props and costumes. William Starling, his father, is a larger than life character. He loves to be the centre of attention. A mysterious letter arrives at their home with an invitation to sail on the Flower of Kashmir to India to set up a theatre for the Maharajah of Kashmir. Time is short. Arrangements are made. Max will meet his parents at the docks after his art lesson. When Max arrives expecting to board the ship his parents are gone, the ship itself does not exist and the only clue is a cryptic note from his father which tells Max to wait with his grandmother.  This is all very very distressing. You can see the invitation and a jewel sent to his mother, Mary, here from the back cover:

Max's grandmother lives next door. She is a librarian so she has terrific information seeking skills but she doesn't have very much money. She is delighted to help Max and she expects him to stay in her house but she tells Max he will need to find a job because money is short. Max is only twelve years hold but he agrees to leave school and find employment. In return his grandmother will provide some lessons. The school will assume Max has gone away with his parents.

There are a series of coincidences which allow Max to make the much needed money. Each of these are part of a bigger puzzle. Max finds a lost toddler and returns him to his mother. This mother is in a cafe and there he meets a young pastry chef called Gabrielle. He tastes her delicious cakes and discovers she has a tragic past. His grandmother employs a young tutor to teach Max mathematics and Max invites this poor student, Ari, to live in his family home paying a small rent and providing maths lessons. Ari also has a sad story from his past. Max then finds he has a part to play as a detective or finder of lost things. A wealthy Baroness has lost a valuable silver spoon. In turn this spoon has an important connection with the story of Gabrielle and also Ari. Along the way Max meets Pia. She wants to be his friend and his assistant but Max is sure he wants to work alone. Needless to say he really needs Pia and her fearless determination to find the truth.  It is Pia who gives Max his new job title - Solutioneer!

I somehow stumbled on this book perhaps on a book list? It was first published in 2013 but the Mister Max series are completely new to me. Cynthia Voigt is a very famous, a very skilled and a much loved author. In past posts I have talked about her Tillerman series. The Homecoming and Dicey's Song are the books that, in my early days of working in a school library, convinced me I wanted to read children's books for the rest of my life!

I have read blog posts from several reviewers who wonder about the audience for this book suggesting it might appeal more to adults than children but I disagree. If your young reader aged 10+ is a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events; Harry Potter; The Invention of Hugo Cabret; Withering by Sea (and sequels); or The Truth about Verity Sparks then I highly recommend Mister Max. While it is a longer book (367 pages) I read it very quickly because the plot keeps powering on.

If you click these review quotes you can read more plot details.

An endearing, memorable protagonist and a clever plot make this a winner. Kirkus Star review

Voigt’s accomplished writing draws readers into every aspect of his world. A double-edged ending solves one big mystery while setting the stage for a new one. Publisher’s Weekly

I think kids who are mature readers and like detailed writing, will find Mister Max an enjoyable read, especially Max's quirky personality and the fun disguises he uses, as well as the mysteries and his sleuthing abilities. There's plenty of oddball and charming characters to keep things interesting. Book Swoon

Maximilian Starling is not your average twelve-year-old boy. James Patterson

I especially enjoyed delicious food in this story as made by Max's grandmother and the detailed character descriptions especially when Max used his parents costumes to make his disguises. Here are a couple of text examples describing characters:

Pia in disguise: "The female - youngish, prettyish, broad shouldered -  was expensively dressed in striped purple silk with flounces at the hem and lace at the wrists, a short purple cloak tied at her neck, and purple leather gloves protecting her hands. Her hair was so blond it seemed white under her straw bonnet: her dark eyes were thickly lined with kohl, which made her look exotic and queenly ..."

Nance the workhouse girl: "She walked in a cloud of fear, her head down and her narrow shoulders gathered in, her arms folded across her chest ... Her straw-colored hair was in neat braids, she had a sharp little nose and chin, and she seemed ordinary, so why did she walk along the street in that cringing way."

Madame Olenka - "The woman wore an olive-green suit, with a row of silver buttons closing the jacket, and a small black hat that fitted close around her head and entirely covered her hair, giving her face a foxy pointy look. Long silver earrings hung down from her earlobes ... Her earlobes were much, much longer than normal."

You may recognise the illustration style by Iacopo Bruno used in Mister Max. I did appreciate the inclusion of a map showing the story locations in Old Town and New Town.  In the hands of a skilled and enthusiastic teacher I think Mister Max: The book of lost things could be a terrific book to read aloud to a Grade 5 or 6 class.

Iacopo Bruno is the cover artist for The School of Good and Evil series and many other books.

Listen to an audio sample here from pages 14-16.

The Book of Lost Things is the first in a trilogy. Here are the second and third installments.

I would follow Mister Max: The Book of Lost things with The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow; The Doldrums; and Small Change for Stuart.

Fox the Tiger by Corey R Tabor

Fox has found a book to read. It is a book about a tiger.

Fox knows tigers are sneaky, fast and big.Tigers are great! Fox decides to transform himself into a tiger! His friends can see through the disguise BUT they decide to join in too with this game of imagination. Turtle becomes a race car; and Rabbit becomes a robot. BUT then it starts to rain. Thank goodness for Squirrel and his wise words. Oh the there is a brilliant wordless twist on the last page which will give everyone a laugh.

A few weeks ago I talked about the Geisel Award and I mentioned that I hoped to read some recent winners. In 2019 the winner was Fox the Tiger. This is a terrific book for newly independent readers or to read aloud. Listen to these brilliant words - I prowl and growl; I zip and zoom; I beep bop boop.

Feel-good, make-believe fun. Kirkus

I would pair Fox the Tiger with this old book - The Tale of Tiki Tiger by Teri Wiltshire. This book holds a special place in my heart because I have used this book with preschool children for over 15 years in the term before they come to "big school". It is the perfect text because it contains a fold out surprise and because it has the repeated refrain "I'm doing something extra special today."  On the day of their visit to our school the preschool children used to begin in the school library, my huge tiger toy would be hiding in my library bag ready to lick the nearest child and following their morning visit to the library the children would then be taken to visit classrooms, the playground and the computer room - "something special today".

Here is an interview with Corey where he talks about his work. You can see some of his joyous illustrations here.

I now discover there are other books about Fox and in November another book will be published with the title Fox versus Winter.

Susie and Alfred in the Night of the Paper Bag Monsters by Helen Craig

Accidents do happen. Should you retaliate or forgive? This is one message at the heart of Suzie and Alfred in the Night of the Paper Bag monsters by Helen Craig. Yes you do know Helen Craig she is the wonderful illustrator of all those Angelina Ballerina books.

In Susie and Alfred the two friends are preparing for a fancy dress party. They are working together at Alfred’s house and in the shed they find some very large and very strong paper bags. These will make perfect costumes. As they begin to paint the bags disaster strikes and a paint can is overturned. A fight ensues and both children head off sulking. Back in their respective homes they make their costumes unaware that each is making a monster disguise. When they meet on the street, as they head off to the party, each gets a terrible fright until they recognize each other's voice. Needless to say Suzie and Alfred make up, have a wonderful time at the party and they even win first prize together as Mr and Mrs Monster. The really delicious twist is a visual joke. I will quote the line but you really need to see this illustration to understand what is going on. “Nobody knew the little person who came third. He must have come from the other side of town.”

Suzie and Alfred in the Night of the Paper bag monsters is one book in a series of three about these friends. You might also look for The Knight, the Princess and the Dragon and Susie and Alfred in a Welcome for Annie. This second title is a good one to use for a discussion about bullying. Luckily these books were all republished a few years ago. I also recommend trying a little paper bag craft. We have some terrific books with paper bag craft ideas in our school library.