Young Victorians chewed through more than three million books during this year’s Premiers’ Reading Challenge.
Premier Jacinta Allan congratulated the more than 76,200 young Victorian readers who took part in the 20th anniversary challenge which finished last week.
“The Premiers’ Reading Challenge has fostered a love reading for millions of young Victorians for 20 years, and this year has once again shown the importance of building confidence and sparking imagination for lifelong learning,” Ms Allan said.
Participants in the 2025 challenge could select from more than 15,000 books from the challenge booklist or choose their own, including picture books, short stories, poems or non-fiction titles.
Among the popular titles were books from Australian authors including ‘Anzac Ted’ by Belinda Landsberry, ‘A Leaf Called Grief’ by Kelly Canby and ‘The Truck Cat’ by Victorian author Deborah Frenkel.
From March to September, students in years three to 10 were challenged to complete 15 books or more over the six months, while younger participants in prep to year two were encouraged to read or experience 30 books.
Children attending early childhood services could also participate by reading or experiencing 40 books with the help of their families.
Deputy premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll paid tribute to the students who took part and the families that supported them.
“I want to congratulate every parent and carer who has supported their child’s learning and love of reading as part of this challenge – each word, page and chapter will go a long way in their education journey,” Mr Carroll said.
