The challenge encourages students from all education sectors to read for leisure and pleasure from a reading list of quality literature. The six-month challenge is now open with more than 600 new titles added to the extensive booklists.

NSW Department of Education Secretary, Mark Scott, congratulated the record 405,565 students from 2,632 NSW schools who took part in the 2019 challenge, a 5% increased participation rate on the previous year. Just under 8.7 million books were read in 2019, up 345,000 on 2018.

"The wonderful thing about reading is that you can discover a wide range of stories and issues. The Premier's Reading Challenge nurtures a love of reading in children that will benefit them all through their lives," Mr Scott said.

"They will apply the skills and understanding they gain from reading widely for enjoyment to all their reading in the future, for study, work, or pleasure."

Last year the most popular books were 'Alpacas with Maracas' by Matt Cosgrove (overall); 'Pig the Pug' by Aaron Blabey (Kindergarten to Year 2); 'The Bad Guys' by Aaron Blabey (Years 3-4); 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by JK Rowling (Years 5-6); and 'Cicada' by Shaun Tan (Years 7-9).

Mr Scott said the success of the challenge was a tribute to the work of the organisers, the quality of the choices made for the reading list, and the support of teachers and parents.

"The ability to read well is one of education's greatest gifts, and everyone involved should be proud that the challenge continues to grow and encourages all students to explore the many benefits that result from a habit and love of reading," he said.

Students can browse the booklists and search for new books to read on the student website. They are rewarded for their progress throughout the challenge with levels and badges to keep them motivated.

Students read between 20 and 30 books, depending on their challenge level, to complete the challenge before it closes on August 28, 2020.

The Premier's Reading Challenge is supported by NewsLocal and Dymocks Children's Charities.