Shiney's Reading Challenge

BOOK 20 – Billie B Brown: The Spotty Holiday

Book 20, here we go! WE MADE IT! 💙

Tonight, Shiney chose The Spotty Holiday to complete her Readathon reading goal. Before she even started, she reminded me, “Mum, let me read even when there are challenging words. If I get them wrong, then you can correct me.”

I have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed hearing that. 🥹

We started this journey with simple, short books, sitting together and sounding out tricky words. For Shiney to finish her goal reading a more advanced book—and having the confidence to try difficult words herself before asking for help—makes my heart swell with pride.

She finished Book 20 feeling very proud of herself. But here’s the best part…

She immediately picked up ANOTHER book! 😂📖 She started reading a few pages, became intrigued by the story, and told me she would continue it tomorrow.

Maybe this is what reaching a reading goal really looks like—not stopping at the finish line, but wanting to keep going. 🥹❤️

Thank you so much to everyone who followed Shiney’s reading progress, cheered her on and donated to her MS Readathon. We are so happy to have taken part in this challenge and helped raise funds to support people living with MS.

20 books finished. Reading habit unlocked. 🔓📚

Read! Read! Read! 💙

Book 19 Billie B Brown: The Wonderful Wedding

Last night, Shiney chose another Billie B Brown book—The Wonderful Wedding! 💕

Mum was out running errands, so Dad stepped in as her reading buddy again. I came home just as Shiney was almost finished, and I could tell she was really enjoying the story. I love seeing Dad guiding her along while also letting her work through the book herself. 🥰📖

And just like that… we are ONE book away from Shiney’s reading goal! 🎉

I wonder what book she’ll choose for Book 20 and the final book of her Readathon goal? Whatever she chooses, I’m already so proud of her determination and how far she has come. 💙

We may be near the finish line, but there’s still time to support the cause! If you’d like to donate, please follow the donation link on this page. Every contribution helps support people and families affected by MS.

One more to go, Shiney! 📚🏁💙

Book 18 – Bluey: Mum School

Tonight, Shiney came home with another book from her school library—Bluey: Mum School! Of course, anything Bluey is always a winner in our house. 😂

I find that Shiney breezes through Bluey books because she knows the characters so well from watching the show. What makes me giggle is how she changes her voice when reading Bluey and Bingo’s lines—she even tries to sound like the characters! 😂🐶

We still paused for a few tricky words and looked up their meanings together. What I loved most tonight was that Shiney now initiates using the new words in another sentence without Mum reminding her. 🥹 My little lady is learning so much!

Two more books to reach her goal! 📚🎉 But reaching 20 books won’t be the end of this journey. The goal may finish, but hopefully the reading habit we’ve built together will continue for many more books to come. 💕

Thank you for continuing to cheer Shiney on! 💙

Book 17 Billie B Brown: The Baby Bird

Last night, Shiney chose another Billie B Brown book—The Baby Bird.

Listening to her read this story felt a little nostalgic. How time has flown! 🥹 Just like the baby bird in the story, Dad and I have spent years “feeding” Shiney with stories and building her love of books. Now, it feels like our little reader is slowly learning to spread her wings and fly on her own. 🐦📖

Since she had read another Billie B Brown story the night before, she was already familiar with the style and reading this one was a breeze. Watching her confidence grow has been truly impressive!

Shiney is getting very close to reaching her reading goal, but the month isn’t over yet! 💙 There’s still time to follow her journey and donate to the MS Readathon through the link on this page.

Thank you for reading along and cheering our little bookworm on! 📚💕

Book 16 Billie B Brown: The Birthday Mix-Up by Sally Rippin

Tonight, Shiney chose a book from the Billie B Brown series! I bought this set for her a few years ago when we first started reading longer bedtime stories together.

I have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed watching her read one of those books all by herself tonight. 🥹 What started as a simple bedtime routine years ago is slowly showing its rewards.

I loved listening to how animated she was as she read. She giggled at the funny parts, got a little emotional at others, and finished the story laughing! 😂 The best part was when she went to Dad afterwards and retold the story to him in her own words. That little moment made me realise just how much her reading comprehension has grown.

So proud of this little bookworm! 📖❤️ More than the number of books she’s finishing, I’m loving the confidence and genuine enjoyment of reading that she’s developing along the way.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support Shiney’s MS Readathon journey. Your encouragement, donations and simply following along mean so much to us. If you’d still like to contribute to this wonderful cause, please follow the donation link on this page. Every little bit helps! 💙

Book 15 I Am the Beast by Andrea Posner-Sanchez

🎶 Tale as old as time… 🎶

We’re pushing on with Shiney’s reading challenge this Sunday! After lunch, she picked up her book for the day and got straight into reading. Today’s story was about the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. 🥀

We came across a few tricky words and had another little reading lesson along the way. “Huge” and “human” caught Shiney’s attention—both start with the same “hu” sound, even though sounding words out letter by letter doesn’t always make their pronunciation obvious. English, you are tricky! 😂

What I love most is seeing how much Shiney has learned throughout this journey. She only has a few more books to reach her goal, but I’m even more excited to see whether this little challenge turns into a reading habit that stays with her long after the Readathon is over. 💙📖

We’re now halfway through the MS Readathon! Thank you to everyone who has supported Shiney and this wonderful cause. If you’d still like to contribute, simply click the donation link on this page. Every bit of support helps people and families affected by MS.

Thank you for reading along with us! 💙

Book 14 – Kangaroo and Grasshopper

With a cheeky laugh, she told me, “I chose a short story today, Mum! It’s easy!” 😂 Fair enough, Shiney! We had a good laugh and read it together after her after-school snack.

Sometimes, reading doesn’t have to be challenging. Sometimes, you just need to enjoy a short, simple and fun book. What matters most to me is that Shiney is enjoying reading and building the habit of picking up a book—whether it’s a few pages or a whole chapter book. 📖💙

Have you read a book this week, friends? Tell us what you’re reading! We might even find our next book from your suggestions. 😊

Thank you for continuing to cheer Shiney on! If you’d still like to donate to her MS Readathon, please follow the donation link on this page. Your support helps people and families affected by multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions.

Your support means a lot to us! 💙📚

Book 13 Happy Barry Capybara Gone Bananas

Tonight, Shiney read Happy Barry Capybara: Gone Bananas by James Foley—one of the two books she picked up from the Book Fair yesterday!

And guess who was her reading buddy again? Dad—two nights in a row! Woohoo! 😂 I came home tonight to find both of them with their heads deep in the book. Such a lovely sight to come home to. 🥰📖

This one was definitely a challenge! Shiney encountered quite a few difficult words, so Mum might have to go through the book with her again, look up the words she doesn’t know, and practise using them in different sentences—just like we always do.

But what made me proud was watching her push through even when the reading became difficult. She didn’t give up, and that’s what this whole reading journey is about. 💙

Shiney has done tremendously well with her MS Readathon journey, and we’ve already reached our donation goal! 🎉 At this point, we’re simply happy to have you stop by, follow her adventures and cheer our little reader on.

Of course, if you’d still like to donate to this wonderful cause, you absolutely can through the donation link on this page.

Thanks for stopping by! Until Book 14! 📚💙

Book 12 Bluey: Tradies

Today, Shiney and I visited her school’s Book Fair, and of course, she already had her eyes on two books! 😂 She couldn’t wait and read one of them tonight—Bluey: Tradies. A perfect choice for a true Bluey fan! 🩵🐶

Tonight also came with a change of reading buddy—Dad took over! 🥰 I could hear Shiney stopping along the way to ask him about some Australian slang she came across, including “You reckon?” Dad explained what it meant and used it in another sentence for her. I love that her reading is not only helping her recognise words but also encouraging her to ask questions and understand how we use them in everyday conversations.

And we have some exciting news… Shiney has reached her MS Readathon donation goal! 🎉💙

A HUGE thank you to our incredibly generous family and friends who donated and helped her reach her target. We are so grateful! 🥰

The reading adventure isn’t over yet, and neither is the fundraising. If you would still like to donate to this wonderful cause, you absolutely can through the donation link on this page. Every extra dollar helps support people and families affected by multiple sclerosis.

Thank you for coming along on Shiney’s reading adventure. Until the next book! 📖💙

Book 11 Ella & Olivia: BFF Stories Skatepark Sisters

Tonight, Shiney continued with the third Ella and Olivia adventure—Skatepark Sisters! 💕

This story gave Shiney lots of practice reading words that describe movement, perfect for a story about the skatepark! She also stopped to ask Mum why words like “light,” “bright,” “knee,” and “know” have letters in them that we don’t even pronounce.

Good question, Shiney… Mum doesn’t know either! 😂 English can be tricky sometimes!

What made me proud tonight was seeing how much more familiar Shiney has become with words she once found difficult. Instead of immediately getting stuck, she’s starting to recognise them and work them out herself. Little progress is still progress! 🥰📖

Another book down and another step in Shiney’s MS Readathon journey! 💙 Thank you to everyone cheering her on. If you’d like to support Shiney’s challenge, please consider donating through the link on this page. Every dollar helps support people and families affected by multiple sclerosis. 

Books 09 & 10 Ella and Olivia: BFF Stories

Sunday was a two-story reading day for Shiney! 📖📖

Book 09 – An Unexpected Visit
In this story, Olivia loses a tooth but then accidentally loses the actual tooth! Worried that the Tooth Fairy might not leave her any money, Olivia and her siblings work together and write a letter explaining why there was no tooth to collect.

This was a fun one for Shiney because losing her baby teeth is something she’ll soon experience herself! We talked about wiggly teeth, the Tooth Fairy and, of course, the very important question… how much does the Tooth Fairy pay these days? 😂🧚‍♀️

Book 10 – Double Trouble
Ella and Olivia play tennis with their friends, but with a dog park nearby, their simple tennis game soon turns into a funny and chaotic adventure! 🐶🎾 Shiney enjoyed the silliness of the story and all the trouble that unfolded on the court.

Two stories down in one day and another little step towards Shiney’s reading goal! 💙

Thank you to everyone following and supporting Shiney’s MS Readathon journey. If you haven’t donated yet and would like to support this wonderful cause, please follow the donation link on this page. Every dollar counts and every donation helps support people and families affected by multiple sclerosis. 📚

Thank you for cheering our little reader on! 🥰

Book 08 Disney Classic: I Am Mulan

Hello, friends! Shiney took a little break from reading last Friday as we enjoyed a movie under the stars at her school. We watched Paddington in Peru, and it was such a lovely movie! Now I’m on the hunt for the book so Shiney (and Mum! 😂) can enjoy that adventure too.

For Book 08, Shiney read the Disney Classic I Am Mulan. Mulan is one of Shiney’s favourite Disney princesses, and when she learned that Mulan came from China, she immediately became curious about the country. She already knows Mum loves watching C-Dramas! 😂

The story talks about all the wonderful things Mulan can do like being brave, helping others, and showing that you can be strong while still being kind. We talked about how Mulan can be a great role model for both little girls and boys.

Follow along as Shiney continues working towards her reading goals! 📖

A huge thank you to our wonderful family and friends who have already donated to Shiney’s MS Readathon. If you can, please consider donating through the link on this page. Every dollar helps, and every book Shiney reads brings us another step along this wonderful journey! 💙

Book 07 Disney Princess The Great Birthday Search

Tonight wasn’t our usual reading night. We celebrated a good friend’s birthday, and Mum had somewhere else to be later in the evening. But we’re building good habits, and Shiney was determined not to miss her reading goal.

Tonight’s book was Disney Princess: The Great Birthday Search. Mum sat with Shiney for part of the story and watched her work through some tricky words. By going back to her phonics strategies and sounding them out, she was able to read most of the challenging words on her own. We also discovered a few new words that she wanted to learn the meaning of, making tonight’s reading another great learning experience.

We’re so proud of Shiney’s commitment to her reading journey, even on a busy day! 

Thank you to everyone who continues to support Shiney’s MS Readathon through your encouragement and donations. If you’d like to help, please follow the donation link on this page. Every contribution helps support families living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions. Thank you for being part of Shiney’s reading adventure! 

Book 06 Wild About Book Week

Tonight, Shiney brought home a library book from school called Wild About Book Week by Sarah Speedie and Kruti Desai.

The story kept Shiney entertained while also introducing her to some challenging new words. I love that she now pauses to ask what unfamiliar words mean, and together we look them up and use them in a new sentence. She also had to concentrate on following the text as it curved in waves and circles across the pages. It was a fun challenge! The ending had Shiney giggling as everyone showed off their wonderfully mixed-up Book Week costumes. 😂

This book couldn’t have come at a better time with Book Week just around the corner! Shiney already has her costume ready, and we can’t wait to share it with you all during Book Week. 

Thank you so much to our family and friends for supporting Shiney on her reading journey. Your encouragement means the world to us. If you’d like to support this wonderful cause, please follow the donation link on this page. Every contribution helps support families living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions. 

Book 05 Disney Frozen Something to Celebrate

Tonight, Shiney read Disney Frozen: Something to Celebrate by Suzanne Francis. Along with enjoying the story, we focused on reading with expression by paying attention to punctuation marks.

Shiney practised changing her tone when she came across periods, commas, and exclamation points. And guess what her favourite punctuation was… the exclamation point! 😂 She loved making the characters sound extra excited!

Thank you to everyone who continues to support Shiney’s MS Readathon. Your encouragement and donations mean so much to us. Every book Shiney reads is helping raise awareness and support for families living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions. We’re so grateful to have you on this journey with us! 

Book 04 A Lion in the Night

Tonight, Shiney read A Lion in the Night by Pamela Allen. It was a fun story that reminded us how our imagination can sometimes make things seem much scarier than they really are.

Shiney did a great job reading and enjoyed talking about what she would do if she heard a lion outside at night! Lol! It was a great opportunity to chat about being brave and facing our fears. I reassured Shiney that it's perfectly normal to feel scared sometimes as long as she tells Mum and Dad about it.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support Shiney’s MS Readathon. Every page she reads is helping raise awareness and support for families living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions.

Book 03 Bertie and the Bear

After a long day travelling to Rockhampton and watching Bluey Live, Shiney chose a short and fun book to end the day—Bertie and the Bear.

This story gave Shiney the chance to practise reading the sounds made by different musical instruments. Some of the instruments were new to her, so we looked them up together and learned something new along the way.

She also tackled some challenging words like “Admiral,” “General,” and “Sergeant.” That sparked a great conversation about the different ranks in the military and what each role means. I love how every book opens the door to new learning beyond just reading.

The best part? The ending! Shiney couldn’t stop laughing when the bear started dancing. 😂

Thank you for continuing to support Shiney’s reading adventure and her MS Readathon journey. Every word she reads helps build her confidence, and every donation helps support families living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions.

If you’re able to, please consider donating to this wonderful cause. Together, we can make a real difference.

Book 02 Bluey Dad's Awesome Treasury - Daddy Putdown

Readathon officially begins today!

What better way to kick off Shiney’s MS Readathon than by reading Bluey’s Dad Awesome Treasury before we head off to see the Bluey live show tomorrow! 

The book has six stories, and tonight Shiney finished the last one, “Daddy Putdown.” Like every true Bluey story, it was full of funny moments with Bluey, Bingo, and their dad, Bandit. We laughed so much while reading together!

I’m so proud of Shiney’s progress. She confidently read some tricky words like “magnificent,” “success,” and “pregnant” (which she used to call pregnek 🤣). We also spent some time practising the different sounds that “ee” and “ea” can make in words. Watching her discover the magic of reading is one of my favourite parts of this journey.

She went to bed full of excitement, knowing she’ll finally meet her favourite Bluey characters tomorrow. 🧡💙

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported Shiney’s MS Readathon. Whether you have donated, shared her posts, or cheered her on, we truly appreciate your kindness. We still have 29 days to go, and we are hopeful we can raise even more funds to support families living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions.

Every book she reads is making a difference. 📚

Book 01 Wombat Stew

Shiney was so excited to begin her reading challenge that she could not wait for the official start so she kicked it off the night before! 😊

Our first book was Wombat Stew, and we had so much fun reading it together. The story was funny and introduced us to lots of Australian bush animals. We also enjoyed looking up some new words along the way. There were a few tricky words that Shiney needed help with, but she read "billabong" with no trouble at all! 😂

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported Shiney’s MS Readathon. Your encouragement means so much to us. Shiney is excited to read more books, grow her love of reading, and help support families living with multiple sclerosis through this wonderful cause. 

Your support helps kids fall in love with reading

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You'll also help transform lives for families living with MS and neurological conditions when you donate.

Donate now to our MS Readathon fundraiser. Thank you!