Celebrating 20 Years Of Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Allan Labor Government is celebrating two decades of the Premiers’ Reading Challenge – which has nurtured literacy, sparked imagination and instilled a love of learning in young students across the Education State.

At the halfway point of the 20^th Premiers’ Reading Challenge, one million books have already been read by more than 270,000 school students.

Since the Premiers’ Reading Challenge began in 2005 about 4.75 million young Victorians have read close to 65 million books.

This year’s Challenge, which finishes on the first Friday in September, is themed ‘20 years of words and wonder’ and encourages children to discover new books and a love of reading.

The Challenge is designed to inspire children and young people to develop a lifelong love of reading while encouraging families to support reading at home.

For children not yet at school, the Challenge invites parents and carers to experience 40 books with their child. Students from Prep to Grade 2 are encouraged to read 30 books, while students in Years 3 to 10 are challenged to read 15 books.

Participants can 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.

Close to 15,000 students have already completed the Challenge in 2025 and will receive an achievement certificate for their reading efforts.

The State Library of Victoria is hosting in-person and online activities for schools, such as illustrator talks and storytime during the Challenge.

Any children or families who would like to take part but are yet to sign up, should visit www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge

Quote attributable to Premier Jacinta Allan

"For 20 years, the Premier’s Reading Challenge has turned pages into possibilities – igniting imaginations, building confidence, and helping young Victorians fall in love with reading for life."

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Ben Carroll

“The huge number of participants that have signed up for the 20^th Premiers’ Reading Challenge shows just how popular it is for young Victorians to discover the wonders in new books.”

“Participants will receive a Certificate of Achievement for the Challenge, and more importantly, discover a lifelong love of reading.”