Victorian kids aged from pre-school to Year 10 collectively made their way through more than 2.8 million books between March and September for the challenge, which this year celebrated the theme “Open Up a New World”.
The annual challenge encourages enthusiastic readers across households, early childhood centres and schools to read a set number of books — including picture books, short stories, poems or non-fiction books — and record their efforts online.
The challenge sets kids a goal of 40 books for children below school age with their parents or carers, 30 books for Prep to Year 2 students with or without assistance, and 15 books for students in years 3 to 10.
Of this year’s 71,342 participants, 8315 readers were below school age — encouraging a love of books and stories in Victorian kids from a young age.
More than 12,000 books were listed on the Premiers’ Reading Challenge booklist for each age group to choose from, with titles curated by an expert panel including teachers and librarians.
The annual challenge receives support from the Victorian Government’s Premiers’ Reading Challenge Book Fund to help meet the extra demand for books.
An extra investment of $1.1 million will ensure all children have access to the listed books.
This means that Campaspe Shire Council will receive $9005, so it can buy the materials needed to support the 2022 challenge.
More than 3.5 million young people have read more than 54 million books since the challenge began in 2005.
Each participant who meets the challenge receives a certificate of achievement signed by all Victorian premiers since 1992 — celebrating the government’s decades-long commitment to literacy and a love of reading.
Campaspe Shire Council general manager of development Paul McKenzie has welcomed the funding.
“The Premiers’ Reading Challenge is another opportunity our Library Services team has to encourage the passion for reading,” Mr McKenzie said.
“The funding will be used to purchase resources, both physical and digital, to support the challenge.”
