Category: Age groups

It’s 17 years since Dianne Wolfer and Brian Harrison-Lever’s award-winning and acclaimed picture book for older readers was released. And it’s 80 years since the Kokoda Track battles it depicts took place. Published on 30 July 2005 and set in 1942, Photographs in the Mud is told from the point of view of two soldiers, […]

My omnibus (best word ever), The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin grew out of my first middle reader novel Lily in the Mirror (CBCA Notable 2017 – just saying). Lily is a character that appeared one day and spoke to me, I felt like she was whispering in my ear. Don’t judge. Then she wrapped […]

Citizen science is about scientists and volunteers working together on real-life, hands-on research. You and your students can contribute to some amazing projects and discoveries, all from the comfort of your computer. The Australian Citizen Science Project Finder lists more than 500 projects to get involved with. Here are seven of my favourite: PlatypusSPOT Okay, […]

From the wacky and wonderful world of Cristy Burne, ‘Beneath the Trees‘ is a wilderness adventure story like no other. In this activity, kids can join Cam and Sophie on their quest for survival in Eungella National Park in Queensland. Cristy’s make your own mega-leech and paper bag platypus are sure to get the stories […]

Three Fremantle Press titles are in the running for major awards and another has been highly commended, plus the life’s work of a Fremantle Press writer has been remembered and recognised. Stellarphant is shortlisted for the 2022 Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Picture Book of the Year and the 2021 Aurealis Award for Best Children’s […]

nlimited Futures: Visionary, Speculative Blak and Black Fiction is now available and we’re over the moon for all the contributors, editors, designers and publishers involved. A week past the release, we asked editors Rafeif Ismail and Ellen van Neerven to reflect on the journey thus far.

Kyle Hughes-Odgers captures children’s attention and gets their imagination racing in his new board book, Everything You Want to See. Spark kids creativity by asking them what they imagine an alien or monster looking like and getting them to create their own in these fun activity sheets.

Activity Sheet

'Create your own alien'

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The Light series by Dianne Wolfer and illustrated by Brian Simmonds includes The Last Light Horse, In the Lamplight, Light Horse Boy and Lighthouse Girl. These four books each look at some of the historical figures who played a part in World War I and are suitable for children to read as they learn about […]

Activity Sheet

'The Light series activity sheets'

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Kyle Hughes-Odgers is the creator of a new board book Everything You Want to See. The artist and father takes us through how he gets his ideas and the collaborative process of translating them onto the page. Everything You Want to See started as an idea in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. […]

Lion, is that you? by Moira Court is a gorgeous multi-layered new picture book that plays on myths about big cats stalking through the Australian bush. We asked Moira to share with us five books featuring big cats that she loved reading to her daughter. We think you’ll agree her choices, would make wonderful, purring […]

In Lion Is That You? author and illustrator Moira Court takes us on a journey through the Australian bush, searching for lions. This wildflower poster is designed to help children complete the activity sheet identifying the wildflowers in the Australian bush before they let their creativity go wild and colouring them in. For more teaching […]

Activity Sheet

'Native Wildflowers Poster'

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In The Last Light Horse we meet Sandy, one of the 136,000 horses that was sent to fight during the First World War, and the only horse that came home. Learn about Sandy and his experiences in this activity sheet designed to test children’s research skills. For more teaching activities, download the free teaching notes […]

Activity Sheet

'The Last Light Horse Activity'

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Lion Is That You? is a picture book that takes kids on adventure through the Australian bush to search for lions that are rumoured to have been left behind by a travelling circus. This Feline Fun activity sheet is designed for kids to identify the native and invasive species living in Australia. For more teaching […]

Activity Sheet

'Lion Is That You? Activity'

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Written by Kathryn Lefroy, Alex and the Alpacas Save the World, has it all a magical prophecy, talking alpacas and evil spirits. Alex must use all her brains, brawn and bravery in order to survive and save her family and friends. The Create Your Own Prophecy Maker activity sheet is a fun way to predict […]

Activity Sheet

'Alex and the Alpacas Activity'

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Chickensaurus is the fourth children’s graphic novel in the S.Tinker Inc. series. The series follows Sally Tinker and her brother as they navigate through all of Sally’s inventions. The Escape the Hedge Maze activity sheet is a great resource for improving cognitive skills, sharpening their memory, building focus and boosts their problem solving skills. For […]

Activity Sheet

'Chickensaurus Maze Activity'

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Backyard Birds by Helen Milroy is a children’s picture book which celebrates the birds in our backyards. The Backyard Birds activity sheet is designed to creatively improve identification skills, fine motor skills and visual and written literacy. For more teaching activities, download the free teaching notes here.

Activity Sheet

'Backyard Birds'

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Shine is a picture book about the love between a parent and a child, celebrating the beauty and joy of everyday family life, through mess and chaos and daily routines. Illustrator Ruth de Vos and author Danny Parker are both extremely family orientated, and they created this book to highlight love and joy. This activity […]

Activity Sheet

'Shine Activity'

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In Beneath the Trees, Cam and Sophie are on an adventure to see a platypus in the wild. But what is a platypus? Author Cristy Burne is passionate about learning through doing and loves to inspire creativity, daring and resilience in her readers. This activity sheet incorporates biological science, English and visual art using research, […]

Activity Sheet

'Beneath the Trees Activity'

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At the fan convention, Maisie can’t wait to meet her favourite character – an amputee superhero! But being a queer, disabled teenager with chronic pain comes with challenges. Can Maisie make it through the day without falling over or falling in love? Author Jessica Walton and illustrator Aśka created Stars in Their Eyes to represent […]

Activity Sheet

'Stars in their Eyes Activity'

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Where Do The Stars Go? is a children’s picture book about Possum who asks his friends where the stars go during the day. Katie Stewart wanted this book to stimulate curiosity and imaginative thinking while highlighting Australian flora and fauna. This activity is designed to encourage critical thinking, research skills, creativity, and written and visual […]

Activity Sheet

'Where do the stars go? Activity'

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Goldfields Girl by Elaine Forrestal is a fictional account of the coming of age of fourteen-year-old Clara Saunders, a pioneer woman on the Coolgardie Goldfields in the 1890s. Elaine Forrestal wrote this book for children to learn about the history of the Western Australian gold rush from a younger person’s perspective. The Gold Search activity […]

Activity Sheet

'Goldfields Girl Activity'

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Let’s Count Wildflowers by Tracey Gibbs is a counting board book that travels from one to ten, dawn to dusk and from Australia’s West to East, celebrating amazing native flora. The Let’s Count Wildflowers activity sheet is designed to creatively improve identification skills, fine motor skills and visual literacy.  For more teaching activities, download the […]

Activity Sheet

'Let's Count Wildflowers Activity'

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Little Jiang is a children’s fiction novel inspired by Chinese folklore. Shirley Marr wrote this book to teach Chinese mythology and folklore and to encourage children to learn about other cultures. The Design Your Own Menu activity sheet encourages children to foster imagination, creativity and improve written and visual literacy. For more teaching activities, download […]

Activity Sheet

'Little Jiang Activity'

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When bricks start to go missing from the town of Littlelight, the mayor whips his citizens into a frenzy of aggravation. But when the townspeople find the thief, and her motive, they discover perhaps it is the mayor who is the problem. Kelly Canby’s picture book Littlelight is a thought-provoking tale of tolerance, diversity and […]

Activity Sheet

'Littlelight Activity Sheet'

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