Categories: NewsEducation

Literacy: Book Bunker takes storytime to schools nationwide

<h2>Wednesday May 24&comma; 2017 marked the 17<sup>th<&sol;sup> National Simultaneous Storytime event&comma; an annual advocacy campaign hosted by the Australian Library and Information Association&period; <&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p>Each year&comma; one picture book is selected for a simultaneous read-a-loud event held in libraries&comma; schools&comma; pre-schools&comma; family homes&comma; childcare centres&comma; bookshops and many other agencies across Australia&period; NSS attracts over half a million children at over 3&comma;500 locations&comma; nationwide&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This year the selected story is <em>The Cow Tripped over the Moon<&sol;em> by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood&comma; published by Scholastic Australia&period; <em>The Cow Tripped over the Moon<&sol;em><strong><em> <&sol;em><&sol;strong>is a joyful picture book that celebrates perseverance and the importance of support&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote>&NewLine;<p>Sharon Turner of Scholastic Australia said&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;the event was fabulous&comma; with over 686&comma;000 registered readers across the country”&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p> The official launch reading&comma; which was given by author Tony Wilson&comma; was held at Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne last Wednesday May 24&period; The reading was broadcast live to patients’ bedsides and through Starlight TV&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Tony has a very personal connection to RCH&period; He dedicated <em>The Cow Tripped over the Moon<&sol;em> to his son Jack&comma; who has cerebral palsy and is a regular patient of the hospital&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&lbrack;pro&lowbar;ad&lowbar;display&lowbar;adzone id&equals;&&num;8221&semi;6125&&num;8243&semi; align&equals;&&num;8221&semi;left&&num;8221&semi; padding&equals;&&num;8221&semi;5&&num;8243&semi;&rsqb;&NewLine;<blockquote>&NewLine;<p>In Tony’s words&colon; <em>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The place means a great deal to us&period; I’m hoping Cow with her moon-jumping mishaps can bring a smile to people who are experiencing a tough time&period; In the end&comma; it’s the group of friends that help Cow succeed in her mission&period; Hopefully kids in hospitals can feel a communal bond&comma; a sense that other kids are going through similar stuff&comma; and that we can all aim for the moon together&period;”<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p>In addition&comma; every child under the age of ten across each of the hospital locations received a copy of <em>The Cow Tripped over the Moon<&sol;em> as a gift from Scholastic Australia&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>About Book Bunkers<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Run by teams of dedicated volunteers&comma; Book Bunkers are currently located in The Children’s Hospital at Westmead&comma; Sydney&comma; The Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital&comma; Brisbane&comma; The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and opening soon at Fun on Four at the new Perth Children’s Hospital&period; The libraries are fully owned and maintained by Scholastic&period; The first Book Bunker established at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead will celebrate its 20<sup>th<&sol;sup> anniversary this year&comma; demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to the libraries&comma; and the children and families they service&period; It is Scholastic&&num;8217&semi;s goal to have a Book Bunker established at every major children’s hospital across Australia&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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Suzy Barry

Suzy Barry is a freelance education writer and the former editor of School News, Australia.

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