Community Book Week Returns to Harden-Murrumburrah

Harden-Murrumburrah is about to turn the page on another wonderful chapter, with the Harden Community Book Week event returning to McLean Oval on Tuesday 25 August from 9am to 12.30pm, as our twin towns join children right across Australia in celebrating the 2026 Children's Book Week theme, "A Symphony of Stories". Anyone who was at McLean Oval last year will remember what a special morning it was, with hundreds of local children parading in costume as their favourite book characters, rotating through craft and storytelling activities, and going home clutching a book of their own. This year promises more of the same magic, with the Book Week parade, activity stations, and a sausage sizzle. All for just a gold coin entry. This year's theme is a beautiful one too. As the organisers put it, it will be a day to celebrate the joy of reading together, where every story adds its own note to a beautiful symphony of imagination. There are two simple ways every reader of this paper can be part of the story, and both need your attention now. The first is to buy a raffle ticket. The Book Week Raffle is what keeps this event running year after year, and the 2026 prize pool is worth around $790 all up. First prize, valued at $350, bundles JBL headphones, a 12-month Audible subscription and a heated electric throw, which sounds like the perfect recipe for a Harden winter. Second prize is a Toniebox storytelling player with three figurines, valued at $260, sure to delight any young family. Third prize ($100) includes an aurora light projector, a Hey Doodle colouring mat and three Mystery Book Nook picture books, while fourth prize ($80) is a cosy bundle of a ceramic diffuser set, mugs, butter shortbread and three Mystery Book Nook novels. Tickets are available online at https://tickets.rafflelink.com/harden-community-book-week/harden-community-book-week, with the raffle drawn at the Book Week event at 12pm on 25 August. Every ticket sold helps bring the magic of Book Week to Harden each year. The second way to help might matter even more, and the clock is ticking: competition entries close on Monday 10 August. This year's Book Week Writing Competition invites storytellers of all ages to run with an irresistible opening line: "When the music started, something magical happened…" Where the music goes from there - a hidden world, an ancient mystery, a forgotten memory brought back to life - is entirely up to the writer. There are categories for Kinder to Year 2, Years 3 to 6, High School and, wonderfully, an Open category for adults, so mums, dads and grandparents have no excuse not to pick up a pen alongside the kids. Entries can be up to two A4 pages, with name and age on the back, dropped off at Murrumburrah Public School. For the littlest members of our community, the Book Week Art Competition invites children aged 0 to 5 to create a masterpiece inspired by Briony Stewart's delightful picture book Gymnastica Fantastica, with entries dropped off at Murrumburrah Public School or Bunyip Preschool. Winners of both competitions will be announced at the Book Week event on 25 August. And if you are planning a clean out, the organisers would gladly take your pre-loved books for the Book Nook, where every child at the event will receive a voucher to spend. Community Book Week is made possible by Community Bank Harden-Murrumburrah, the Harden District Education Foundation, Rotary, HRDC and the Harden Murrumburrah Men's Shed. They have written the opening chapters. The rest of us just need to buy a ticket, spark a conversation and turn up on 25 August. In a symphony of stories, every voice counts, especially the young ones.