Promoting Book Week 2025 - Book an Adventure

Get ready, Children’s Book Week 2025 is almost here! From 16–23 August, school libraries and classrooms across Australia will be filled with laughter, creativity, and the thrill of new stories waiting to be discovered.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the celebration, and the theme “Book an Adventure!”, brought to life by the stunning illustrations of Jess McGeachin, is brimming with possibilities. Think treasure maps, hidden worlds, mysterious paths, and daring quests. Every book is a ticket to somewhere extraordinary.

For school library staff, this is the week when your space becomes the beating heart of the adventure, where students gather not just to read, but to immerse themselves in worlds they have never imagined. It is a time for whole school participation, family involvement, and creative chaos in the best possible way.

Whether you have already been planning for months or you are just getting started, here are some fresh, fun ideas to help you bring the “Book an Adventure!” theme to life in your library and across your school community.

1. Transform Your Library into an Adventure Zone

• Map the Journey: Use the CBCA artwork to create a giant map on your library wall. Mark “destinations” for different genres or reading levels.
• Themed Corners: Set up reading nooks that match different adventure types such as mystery hideouts, fantasy realms, or real-life explorers’ camps.

2. Reading Passport Challenges

• Give each student a “passport” to stamp as they complete reading challenges.
• Challenges could be genre-based (“read a fantasy”), task-based (“read under a tree”), or social (“recommend a book to a friend”).
• Use Oliver v5 to track completed challenges and highlight popular titles.

3. Adventure Dress-Up and Parade

• Choose a day for students and staff to come as their favourite adventurous character.
• Include a parade through the school or a lunchtime showcase in the library.
• Bonus: Invite the principal or teachers to read aloud in costume.

4. CBCA’s “Birthday Book Adventure” – Saturday 23 August

• Host an after-hours or Saturday morning library celebration.
• Invite families for storytime, treasure hunts, and “birthday cake for books”.
• Create a photo booth with adventure props so students can capture their journey.

5. Lunchtime or After-School Clubs

• Adventure Story Club: Read a short adventure book over the week, one chapter a day.
• Creative Writing Challenge: Have students write the next chapter for a favourite adventure story.
• Art and Makerspace Sessions: Let students create maps, postcards, or “book covers” for their adventures.

6. Take the Adventure School Wide

• Classroom Reading Relays: Each class adds a page or paragraph to a shared adventure story. Display it in the library at week’s end.
• Hallway Display: Create a “Reading Travels” wall where students pin their name on a world map showing where their books have taken them.
• Mystery Book Hunt: Hide adventure-themed books around the school and give clues via the morning announcements.

7. Extend the Fun with LearnPath

• Build a LearnPath guide with booklists, author interviews, writing prompts, and “how-to” videos for adventure crafts.
• Share it with students and families so the celebration continues at home.

Tip for Success

Start promoting your activities early. Post teaser images, “coming soon” displays, and countdowns on your library homepage and in school newsletters to build even more anticipation.

Children’s Book Week is your moment to make the library the centre of joy and discovery in your school. With a little planning, a splash of creativity, and the right resources, you can create an unforgettable celebration that will inspire students long after the week ends.