Fun, Thrifty & Fast Book Week Ideas!
For book lovers, Book Week is one of the most exciting times of the year. This year’s Book Week theme is Dreaming with Eyes Open and spans from August 20-26, with schools hosting a variety of book-related events such as book fairs, library displays, and costume parades.
If you’re looking for a last-minute costume, we sat down with Laura Norris, co-owner of The Mad Hatters Bookshop and all-round book lover, to get some dreamy ideas!
Laura has picked a variety of current and classic reads for children which combine a bit of thriftiness, creativity and DIY—whether you’re looking for a low-effort outfit or vying to win that costume prize!
Easy Book Week Ideas For 2022
1. The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel
This CBCA-shortlisted book features a curious captain’s daughter turned detective, who, with the help of other ship passengers, attempts to solve the mysterious case of a missing diamond…
Pepper Stark
1 x red hat
1 x red dress or coat
1 x red scarf
1 x binoculars
Additional props: a notebook & pen to write down clues!
2. Pow Pow Pig
This junior reader series features an unexpected hero with a big heart, time travel, and a team of Z-List heroes who team up to save the world. This quirky costume is easy to put together and requires some easy craft.
Piccolo AKA Pow Pow Pig
Make your own pig mask using paper, elastic and colouring pens
1 x broom
1 x blue t-shirt
1 x dark pants or jeans
1 x gold belt
3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
This classic novel is a go-to for book week—it’s easily recognisable and most of the pieces for the costume can be found in your own wardrobe. (And if Alice isn’t your style, you can go as The Mad Hatter, White Rabbit or The Queen of Hearts instead!)
Alice
1 x blue dress
1 x white pinafore
1 x black shoes
1 x black bow
Additional props: a clock, a deck of cards, a teacup.
A cult-hit fantasy series by Tui T. Sutherland, Wings of Fire is remarkably popular among those aged 8-12 (and some even older!). Set in a world populated by dragons divided into tribes, each dragon has a distinctive personality and different appearance to match. This costume includes a lot of craft and creativity, so I wouldn’t recommend just ‘winging’ this one.
Choose your Own Dragon!
Make your own wings out of cardboard, paint and glue
Make your own dragon tail out of cardboard, paint or crayons and glue
1 x face paint for dragon scales makeup
5. Wolf Girl
Anh Do’s Wolf Girl is one of his most popular series of books, and it’s easy to see why—when disaster separates Gwen from her family, she ventures into the wild to survive with a pack of lost dogs (and an eagle) who become her new family.
Wolf Girl: Gwen
1 x backpack
1 x grey jacket
5 x toy dogs
Additional props: Toy eagle, a slingshot.
So there you have it, quick and easy costumes that you (or the kids!) can whip up in a flash. You can find all these books and more in Laura’s mini-wonderland The Mad Hatters Bookshop. Pop in and discover a world of childhood magic today!