Forget Potter, Narnia is all the rage

Andrew Leef, 5, dressed as Tom Sawyer, won best costume. Picture / Richard Robinson

Harry Potter is out and the kings and queens of Narnia are in, if a costume parade at one of Auckland's book-loving primary schools is any indication.

Children at Randwick Primary School in Manurewa dressed up as their favourite book characters and showed that the C.S. Lewis books that spawned this coming summer's Narnia-inspired movie were the flavour of the day.

Witches, princesses, lions and fawns, and knights in armour turned out.

Other classics showed up at the decile 2 school in the form of children and staff dressed as Mary Poppins, Rapunzel, and Wendy from Peter Pan.

Acting associate principal Andrea Bleakley said the children were just as excited about the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as they were about the movie version of it.

Library manager Marleen Maxwell, who introduced Book Week four years ago, said reading was a powerful tool in a school such as Randwick.

"Every day there's a new challenge for every staff member here, as we struggle to clear away social issues that the majority of these children face and then attempt to teach to the best of our ability.

"Book Week has given our children the opportunity to express themselves artistically and emotionally through their love of reading."

Favourite books, such as How Weaving Came by Ron Bacon, have been read to the entire school over the intercom, she said.

The school is part of the Books in Homes programme, and during Book Week parents have been invited to read to their child's whole class.

Next month the whole school will see the Narnia movie, The Chronicles of Narnia.

The film, based on the classic novel by C.S. Lewis, opens in New Zealand on December 9.