LOCAL schools will mark Book Week today with parades at Cohuna and Kerang.
Kerang and district schools will participate in the town’s 40th annual Children’s Book Week book parade, with a similar event to occur at Cohuna’s Garden Park.
Gannawarra mayor, Cr Brian Gibson said it is a momentous occasion for the event which has seen hundreds of school students participate over the years.
“The annual book parade is something that the community looks forward to every year, and it is a credit to the organising committee for its endurance over the past 40 years.”
This year’s parade route will be altered slightly, due to the works currently being undertaken in Victoria Street. The start time remains as 11.30am, and will commence from the rear of Kerang Primary School, in Albert Street.
For the community who wish to come out and watch the parade, you can see all the action from any of these streets: Albert Street, Scoresby Street, Nolan Street, Wellington Street and Fitzroy Street. Council is reminding would like to remind residents that roads along the parade route will be closed to vehicles for the duration of the book parade and alternative parking will need to be found for this time.
Whilst walking past Northern District Community Health in Fitzroy Street, the parade will slow to allow for commentary on each grades book.
Each year across Australia, Children’s Book Week brings children and books together. During this time schools, libraries, booksellers, authors, illustrators and children celebrate Australian children’s literature. The theme for this year’s celebration in “Escape to Everywhere”.
Library manager, Kerri Sidorow said that the short-listed books are being displayed at the Sir John Gorton Library throughout Children’s Book Week.
“Local primary and pre-schools will also have the opportunity to explore Story Island which is a unique exhibition that promotes reading and building imagination in children,” she said.
This exhibition is currently on display at the Sir John Gorton Library.
Celebrations will begin at Kerang Primary School from 10.30am where award presentations will be made for the different categories of the Book Week awards prior to the start of the parade.
Students from district primary schools, Koondrook Pre-school, the Gannawarra Children’s Centre and the local playgroups, including Tyipen Kwe, will represent book characters the parade.
Meanwhile, Cohuna district pre-schools and primary schools will combine for a major focus on literacy today.
Three hundred children and their parents will meet at Garden Park in Cohuna at 1pm and will read synopses from books they have written and bound themselves.
Teachers and children will be dressed up as favourite characters from children’s books, including Roald Dahl’s The BFG and David Walliams’ The Midnight Gang.
The schools involved in the parade are St Mary’s, Cohuna Consolidated, Leitchville Primary School, and Leitchville Kindergarten.
The books will be on display in the school libraries for the rest of the school year so the children can read each other’s work.
The parade concludes the book fair held throughout Children’s Book Week and will finish at 2.30pm.
