5 September, 2026

Well-read – 10,000 books in a week at Sunnynook School

Colourful characters… The Lorax, Marlie Hauraki (8) and Box Costume (above) Javinu Kumarapperuma (6), Leo Kim (6) at right

Kitted out…Book Week organiser Libby Brereton (in yellow dress) joined other teachers and Sunnynook School acting principal Katrina Hosken (blue dress) to get into character along with the students

Book Leaders… (below) Charlotte Bao (11), Scarlett Pierce (10), Anna Vu (11), Alika Perdana (11), Urwah Farooqui (11), and Felicia Kuo (10).

Sunnynook School students have read 10,000 books to celebrate this year’s Book Week, and the school has been transformed into an “Enchanted Forest”.
With a book character parade, a visit from local author Sam Smith, and a redecoration of the school’s library and tech room, the students turned their focus on reading into a school-wide goal.
Initially set at 5000 books, a goal the school had already reached mid-week, the Year 6 Book Week leaders decided to double their ambition to 10,000.
Teacher and co-organiser of book week Libby Brereton said one class of Year 5/6 students had even asked the teacher if they could read instead of playing an end-of-day game.The Book Week leaders said they have been working towards this event for almost a term.
She said her favourite result from the week was seeing fellow students “looking at books and actually wanting to read them”.
Just outside the library a series of cushions surrounded a campfire (made of cardboard) where students could read quietly.
Inside the library, similar reading nooks were available, as well as enchanted forest backdrops and mystical decorations.
The tech room, also the venue of the Scholastic Book Fair, had been transformed into an enchanted forest itself with fairy lights and flowers.
To end the week, princesses, pirates, Pokemon, K-pop Demon Hunters and fairies joined a book character parade, alongside the Avengers, several variations of Spider-Man, creatures from Minecraft and students from Hogwarts.

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