Local primary school children are being encouraged to celebrate Children’s Book Week this week (August 21-27).

Member for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine Week said “With the State Government’s continued focus on improving children’s literacy, Children’s Book Week represents another opportunity to help us spread the word about the importance of reading, and to encourage young Queenslanders to learn to love reading from an early age. I urge parents to make the most of any Book Week activities and celebrations taking place at local schools.”

Children’s Book Week is organised by the Children’s Book Council of Australia and this year marks the program’s 65th anniversary, with the 2010 theme ‘Across the Story Bridge’.

Mr Shine went on to say “Currently more than 60,000 students from 400 schools are involved in the fifth annual Premier’s Reading Challenge, which sets reading targets for all primary students in Queensland. The Challenge finishes on August 27 and I’m told we’re on track to better last year’s results where more than 1.2 million books were read during the campaign.”

Further Information:

Phone: 4638 5755 or Email: toowoomba.north@parliament.qld.gov.au