Book Week in Australia is a major school and library event associated with the Children’s Book Council of Australia. It celebrates children’s books, reading, authors, illustrators, libraries and storytelling. For many families, it is also the week of school book parades, costume days and classroom reading activities.
Book Week in Australia is usually held in August. The official dates and theme should be checked with the Children’s Book Council of Australia each year before schools, parents or websites publish final details.
No. Book Week is not a public holiday in Australia. It is a school, library and reading event, not an official day off work or school.
Parents often search for Book Week dates, themes and costume ideas weeks or months before the parade, especially when schools confirm different parade days.
Important: Schools may hold Book Week parades on different days from the official national week. Always check your school newsletter, app or calendar for the actual costume parade date.
Book Week dates and themes are announced by CBCA. Use this table for planning, but update the page once official dates and themes are confirmed for each year.
| Year | Expected timing | Official status | Theme note | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Saturday 16 August to Saturday 23 August 2025 | Confirmed past event | Book an Adventure | 80th anniversary year for Children’s Book Week. |
| 2026 | August 2026 | Check CBCA before publishing final dates | Theme to be confirmed | Start checking official dates and school calendars from Term 2. |
| 2027 | August 2027 | Check CBCA before publishing final dates | Theme to be confirmed | Use August as the planning window until official dates are announced. |
| 2028 | August 2028 | Check CBCA before publishing final dates | Theme to be confirmed | Schools may choose a parade day within or near the official week. |
| 2029 | August 2029 | Check CBCA before publishing final dates | Theme to be confirmed | Parents should wait for the school’s actual costume day. |
| 2030 | August 2030 | Check CBCA before publishing final dates | Theme to be confirmed | Update once official national dates and theme are available. |
| 2031 | August 2031 | Check CBCA before publishing final dates | Theme to be confirmed | Useful for long-range school calendar planning only. |
Simple answer: Book Week is usually in August, but the official dates and theme should be checked with CBCA each year. Your child’s actual costume parade date may be set by their school.
Book Week is a celebration of children’s books, reading, writing, illustration and storytelling. It gives schools, libraries and families a reason to focus on Australian children’s literature and to encourage children to read for pleasure.
Book Week highlights children’s literature, including picture books, early childhood books, younger reader titles, older reader books and illustrated works.
The event helps promote Australian stories, creators, publishers, school libraries and reading culture.
At its best, Book Week is not just about costumes. It encourages children to connect with stories, characters, ideas and imagination.
For many families, Book Week means costume day. The best costumes are usually simple, recognisable and clearly connected to a book, not just a random movie or superhero outfit.
Parent tip: Ask your child to bring the book or a printed cover image with them. It makes the costume connection clearer and keeps the focus on reading.
Book Week works best when it is more than a parade. Schools and libraries can use the week to build reading culture, introduce new authors, support reluctant readers and celebrate student creativity.
School planning point: Schools should publish the parade date, theme expectations, costume rules and any library events clearly. Many parent searches happen because the school date is unclear.
The Book Week theme changes each year. The theme usually influences classroom activities, library displays, school parade ideas, posters and costume planning. Because themes are announced by CBCA, this page should be updated annually.
Each year’s theme should be added once confirmed. Do not guess future themes.
Schools and libraries often build activities around CBCA shortlisted and winning books.
Book Week is closely connected with children’s literature awards, reading promotion and library programming.
Maintenance note: Update this page each year when CBCA releases the official Book Week dates, theme, poster and resources.
Book Week sits inside a wider school calendar that includes education, wellbeing, science, culture and community events.
Usually held in August. Focuses on reading, children’s books, costumes, libraries, authors and illustrators.
Also held in August. Focuses on science activities, STEM events, schools and community learning.
Held in September. Focuses on wellbeing conversations in schools, workplaces and communities.
This site mainly covers public holidays, but Book Week belongs in the events and observances calendar because Australians search for its dates, theme, costume ideas, school activities and planning details.
| Event or holiday | Usual timing | Public holiday in Australia? | Why people search it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book Week | Usually August | No, not a public holiday | School dates, costume ideas, themes, book parades and library activities. |
| National Science Week | Usually August | No, not a public holiday | Science events, school activities and STEM programs. |
| R U OK? Day | Second Thursday in September | No, not a public holiday | Wellbeing conversations, school events and workplace planning. |
| School holidays | Varies by state | Not public holidays, but schools close | Term breaks, family planning, travel and childcare. |
Site structure recommendation: Keep this page as a top-level event page at /book-week/. Do not make it a child page of public holidays, because Book Week is not a public holiday. Link it from the /events/ hub and school-related calendar pages.
Use these pages to plan around school events, Australian observances, public holidays and long weekends.
Book Week is usually held in August, but the official dates should be confirmed with the Children’s Book Council of Australia each year.
Book Week 2026 should be checked against the official CBCA dates once confirmed. Use August 2026 as the planning window until the official date is published.
No. Book Week is not a public holiday in Australia.
Book Week is associated with the Children’s Book Council of Australia, commonly known as CBCA.
Schools often hold book parades, library events, author activities, reading challenges, classroom activities and costume days.
No. Schools may choose different parade or costume days, even if they are using the same national Book Week period. Check your school calendar.
A good Book Week costume is simple, safe, comfortable and clearly linked to a book character your child knows.
Not always. Some schools encourage costumes linked to the annual theme, while others allow any book character. Check your school’s instructions.
Parents often need time to confirm the school parade date, choose a book character, prepare a low-cost costume and avoid last-minute stress.
No. Book Week should be a top-level event page at /book-week/ because it has direct search demand and is not a child of a public holiday. It should be linked from the /events/ hub.