Students parade as characters from Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland and more at St George's School literacy festival in Whanganui

Where could you see Harry Potter casting a spell on The Mad Hatter, while The Hunger Games' Effie Trinket chases a cheeky Gingerbread Man?

You could see all the craziness of nursery rhyme, fairy tale and other book characters colliding at the St George's School literacy festival.

Book party might be a more apt name as the festival finished on Friday with a book fair, a parade of characters, spell making workshops and finally, prizegiving.

The teachers didn't miss out on the fun with literacy co-ordinator Jacoba Glenny dressing as The Queen of Hearts.

St George's School teacher Paula Conder as the Incy Wincy Spider and eight-year-old Addison Smyth as The Mad Hatter. Photo / Stuart Munro

"The festival has been great. Some of the kids came in this morning and they were quite nervous for others to see them all dressed up," Glenny said.

"But it didn't take long and they were away, just running around and having fun."

The festival was created by a former teacher, Megan Orme-Whitlock who is now teaching at Wanganui Collegiate School.

All St George's students participate in the festival and this year's theme was nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

"We have a book parade which is the celebration of who inspired them to dress as the character they are and their love of reading," Glenny said.

"Reading is huge to the development of children, it's their access to everything and all other learning. It's their access to the world."

Workshops held on the day included making 'spells' through science experiments, treasure hunts, crown and fairy house making.

At the afternoon prizegiving, students received their winter reading challenge badges.

"We graph their reading. We might say a senior student needs to read 20 chapter books which will be challenge, but achievable for them if they push themselves," Glenny said.

"Instead of them just coasting, especially those ones that are quite happy to only read a book now and then, it's a good incentive for them to push further."

Glenny said that rather than the school only focusing on academic achievement, they also reward students for the effort that they put into their work.

If they were judged on the effort put into their costumes, they'd all get an A+.