More than 46,000 students across NSW have already completed the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC), with Harry Potter proving once again to be a magical favourite among readers of all ages.

Now in its 24th year, the PRC is inspiring young readers across the state, encouraging them to dive into books for pleasure, explore new authors, and expand their literary horizons.

Fan favourites continue to dominate the Challenge this year, with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone topping the list with more than 7,800 reads, followed closely by Aaron Blabey’s Pig the Pug and Deborah Kelly’s The Thing About Oliver, reflecting the continued appeal of both classic and contemporary storytelling.

High school students are also turning to familiar favourites, with film adaptations such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games remaining popular choices.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car welcomed the enthusiasm shown by students across NSW, praising the role of the Challenge in building foundational literacy skills.

“As a Harry Potter fan myself, I am delighted to see children of all ages are still enthralled by the mysteries of Hogwarts,” Ms Car said.

“With the Premier’s Reading Challenge nearing its mid-way milestone, I applaud the more than 46,000 students who have already finished the Challenge and urge those still working towards their goal to curl up with a book through these winter months.”

The Challenge, which requires students to read a set number of books – 30 for Kindergarten to Year 2, and 20 for Years 3 to 10 – has now been extended to 19 September 2025, giving students an additional four weeks to complete their reading logs and engage with new titles during the cooler months.

Ms Car said initiatives like the PRC played a critical role in the government’s plan to improve student learning outcomes.

“The NSW Government is determined to lift academic performance in our schools, and encouraging a love of reading through programs like the Premier’s Reading Challenge plays a critical role in lifting literacy outcomes,” she said.

Across the state, standout schools are already being celebrated for their efforts with Camden South and Carlingford West Public producing the most Gold Certificate recipients – 276 students who have completed the Challenge four years in a row. Carlingford West is also leading the way with over 1,100 active reading records.

Camden South Public School student Tom Hazelton told the Daily Telegraph that his favourite books are the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan – particularly the fourth title The Battle of the Labyrinth.

“It’s all about Greek gods and full of action,” he said.

By comparison, his 10-year-old classmate Bailey Ooi loves the “emotion” and “great storyline” of novelist Craig Silvey’s children’s title, Runt.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is open to all NSW students from Kindergarten to Year 10, in government, independent, Catholic and home schools.

The challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students and enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, read more and read more widely.

To support educators and families, the PRC has launched a new podcast, Between the Bookshelves, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and The Arts Unit website. Featuring author interviews, reading strategies and book recommendations, the podcast is designed to help students discover their next “just right” read.

Explore the PRC podcast, Between the Bookshelves on the Spotify, Apple Podcast and The Arts Unit website

The 2025 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge is proudly supported by Digital Partner, ePlatorm and Supporter, Pimary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).

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