Reading friends

By Tania Martin
BELGRAVE children’s author Catherine Bateson enthralled Sassafras Primary School students last week with tales of life in a book shop.
She visited the school as part of the Premier’s Reading Challenge.
A massive 750,000 students took up the reading challenge this year, which was a dramatic improvement on last year’s 115,000.
It is open to students from Prep to Year 10 and challenges them to read up to 15 books during August.
Principal Alex McDonald said more than 98 per cent of students had taken up the challenge this year.
He said they had done a fantastic job.
Bateson regaled students with stories of her childhood exploring her parents’ bookshop.
She also read the students an expert of her latest children’s book, Magenta Mcphee.
Bateson is known for popular books such as Being Bee, The Wish Pony, Rain May and Captain Daniel.
Monbulk MP James Merlino also joined the student last week to congratulate them for taking up the challenge.
“Reading is an essential skill and the challenge encourages student to discover the wonder and excitement of a good book,” he said.
Students who completed the challenge all received a signed certificate from Premier John Brumby.