Children from kindergarten to year 6 built models of aliens, spaceships, planets and everything in between for Read Across the Universe, the 2013 Book Week theme, for a school competition.

The competition attracted more than 70 entries with students building their models from materials found at home.

Teacher Aileen Reid said the theme was designed to find a different way of engaging students with reading.

“Read Across the Universe is a very fun theme,” Mrs Reid said.

“We’ve had aliens and robots and rockets and the kids have thought outside the box.

“Hopefully the space theme will help to get kids more involved in reading.”

Along with their model competition, St Patrick’s will invite grandparents into the classroom for an open day tomorrow.

Students will participate in reading and craft activities with celebrations culminating in a book fair.

“We’re very excited to have the children’s grandparents involved with us this week,” Mrs Reid said.

“They will help the children with some reading activities before joining them for some craft in the afternoon.

“Both of those things will stay with the out-of-this-world sort of theme.”