Aussie book heads top 10 list of most popular books for WA kids in Premier's Reading Challenge

West Australian

a day ago

A picture book by an Australian author is the most popular with WA school kids taking part in this year's Premier's Reading Challenge — even though American and British writers dominate their top 10 favourites.
The Truck Cat, by Deborah Frenkel — about a cat named Tinka and his friendship with a lonely migrant truck driver — was the book most frequently logged by children taking part in the annual event.
The reading challenge encourages kids from kindergarten to Year 10 in public and private schools to read at least 12 books in 12 weeks.
Just one other Aussie book — Pig the Pug, by Aaron Blabey — featured in the top 10.
Education Department data shows that Dog Man books by American David Pilkey took out four spots on the list, while Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by fellow US author Jeff Kinney, was second.
The first two books in British author JK Rowling's series about boy wizard Harry Potter are still proving popular with youngsters more than 20 years after they were published, as is Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson.
Speaking from Queensland, where she was on holiday, Melbourne-based writer Frenkel was excited to learn her book was number one with WA school kids.
'That's so wonderful to hear,' she said. 'In my mind, if kids are reading anything, that's a win.
'But if kids are also reading Australian stories that reflect the experiences of people around us right here, then that's I think even better — so a double win really.'
Avid readers at Riva Primary School in Piara Waters have dived enthusiastically into the challenge, with 166 students so far notching up more than 4200 books.
Principal Aaron Chaplin believed the initiative was inspiring children to read more books.
'It builds that habit and love for reading,' he said. 'We embrace it and we have a fantastic library and librarian.'
Mr Chaplin said it was encouraging to see talented Australian authors on the list, adding the longevity of Harry Potter could be attributed to parents who had grown up with the series now reading it to their own children. He suggested kids were drawn to Dog Man graphic novels because they had such accessible characters.
Premier Roger Cook said reading sparked imagination, brought enjoyment and even led to job opportunities.
'With so many other distractions for kids these days, instilling a love of reading has never been more challenging,' he said.
'I love to read stories by Aussie authors, and I would encourage children to read work by local authors too. But reading widely is important — different authors, different genres, different styles — all of it helps us better understand the world we live in, and that can only be a good thing.'
Education Minister Sabine Winton — a former primary school teacher and mum of three — said reading was crucial for children's development.
'Reading helps children think critically and creatively, and plays an important role in shaping young minds,' she said.
'Australia has a rich history of literary talent. I want to encourage all WA students to read books by Australian authors, and authors from different backgrounds, to explore new ideas and improve their vocabulary.'
The annual challenge, which aims to improve students' literacy skills by giving them a goal, began on April 7 and finishes on June 27.
Children who log their reading achievements each week are also in the running for weekly prizes.
Students in Years 11 and 12 were included in the challenge for the first time this year, with a goal of six or more books.
An Education Department spokesperson said it was still not too late to join in the challenge, which included events featuring WA-based authors.