Category: History
Published in association with THEATRE 180, Courage Be My Friend by Jenny Davis OAM is the story of Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, who was the only survivor of the Bangka Island Massacre during World War II. Returning for it’s second theatrical run, the theatre production that inspired the book is called 21 HEARTS: Vivian Bullwinkel and the Nurses of the Vyner Brooke.
Mark Greenwood shares mysterious true Australian stories in his junior fiction series, beginning with The Dragon’s Treasure and The Vanishing. In the teaching activity for The Dragon’s Treasure, budding reporters share the story of discovering treasure on a remote West Australian beach, using the newspaper template for the Pirate Times. For The Vanishing, kids create their own comic strip: drawing the moment […]
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Mark Greenwood is a history hunter. He enjoys searching for lost explorers and glittering treasure, delving into baffling mysteries and investigating famous cold cases. In this piece, he shares his passion for the unexplained and how that resulted in a new series of books. Why these mysteries in particular? I’m hooked on mystery, history and […]
In 1989, Mecak Ajang Alaak led the Lost Boys on a four-year journey from Ethiopia to Kenya to protect them from becoming child soldiers. To understand these countries better, create a country profile for each of the following four countries: South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. This activity gives kids the opportunity to learn practical […]
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Children’s publisher Cate Sutherland says, ‘When we first shortlisted Father of the Lost Boys for the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, we didn’t know then what we know now – that the book would be embraced by readers and that working with Yuot would be such a delight. Both are great reasons for us to […]
Published in association with THEATRE 180, Courage Be My Friend by Jenny Davis OAM is the story of Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, who was the only survivor of the Bangka Island Massacre during World War II. Vivian’s selfless efforts to support her fellow prisoners of war in a Japanese camp garnered her many medals and saw her go on to […]
Sister Bullwinkel was a WWII hero who tended to patients in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Indonesia. Find the right illnesses to diagnose the WWII patient like Vivien Bullwinkel does in Courage Be My Friend. We’ve collated some common diseases she may have encountered. Use the internet to come up with your best […]
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'Diagnose the WWII illness'Download activity sheet
Cristy Burne Remember the first time you spotted a fish swimming in the ocean? Or the fun of jumping waves? Or that full-body shiver as you plunge into the chilly, salty sea? A child’s emotional connection to nature is a vital and revitalising superpower – and I want to grow it whenever I can. Our […]
Two gripping new productions will provide theatre audiences with a powerful fusion of great Fremantle Press books, live theatre and cinema. Based on Dianne Wolfer’s award-winning quartet of picture books for older readers, The Lighthouse Girl Saga will open at Albany’s Princess Royal Theatre (Albany Entertainment Centre) on 23 February before playing in Busselton on […]
The Wreckers’ Revenge is the second book following on from Norman Jorgensen’s The Smuggler’s Curse. This children’s fiction adventure series follows Red Read who is sold to an infamous smuggler plying his trade off the north-west coast of Australia in the closing days of the 19th century. The Shipwreck Survival activity sheet was designed to […]
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Mel and Shell is about two best friends living in 1979. Swedish pop group ABBA rules the airwaves and roller skating is cool. Confiding in her pen pal from 1829, Shell discovers she has a lot to learn about loyalty and honesty. The Dear Pen Pal activity sheet encourages research into history and fosters imagination. […]
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The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin is the whopper doorstop of never-ending educational resources and inspiration for students ages 8–13. Here some activities for the classroom. Real-life issues/themes The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin is a supernatural fantasy of epic proportions, but wrapped up in all the haunting, high jinks and history lies an earnest and […]
At the 2022 Great Big Book Club held at Success Library with Fremantle Press, historical fiction authors David Whish-Wilson, Sharron Booth and Portland Jones made the writing process sound equal parts challenging and rewarding. Moderator and author Brooke Dunnell kicked off the discussion by having each author introduce their book. Despite their vastly different plots […]
Synchronicity – it’s a ‘thing’ for many authors. During the research and writing of each story in my historical ‘Light’ series I’ve experienced delightfully unnerving coincidences, making me wonder how books come about. Do I choose the story or does the story choose me? In the case of The Last Light Horse, perhaps it’s the […]
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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The Lighthouse Girl is a children’s fiction novel about a young girl living in Australia during World War I. This book draws on fascinating archival material, and interweaves fact with fiction. The Morse Code activity sheet is designed to challenge young minds in an interactive way while also teaching them about communication skills and history. […]
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The Smuggler’s Curse is a children’s fiction adventure novel about Red Read who is sold to an infamous smuggler plying his trade off the north-west coast in the closing days of the 19th century. Catch the Smugglers activity sheet was designed to make geography and history fun and engaging. For more teaching activities, download the […]
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'The Smuggler's Curse Activity'Download activity sheet
Riddle Gully Secrets is a mystery and adventure fiction novel for young readers about a famed youth reporter Pollo di Nozi who stumbles upon two surprising secrets. This book is the first in the trilogy. This activity sheet is designed to test children’s history knowledge and memory. For more teaching activities, download the free teaching […]
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'Riddle Gully Runaway Activity'Download activity sheet
David Price says when we hold strong views about a subject, we often do not like to listen to contrary ones. He says, ‘In fact, we live in a time when we are able to exclusively access – mainly online – only the information and opinions that suit our own view of the world. In […]
Goldfields Girl by Elaine Forrestal is a historical novel for middle readers featuring real-life nineteenth-century teenager Clara Saunders. In this blog post, Elaine takes us into the exciting, dusty, fly-ridden world of a gold rush.
Anzac Day marks the anniversary of Australia’s first major military action, and is also a national day of remembrance that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.
Anzac Day marks the anniversary of Australia’s first major military action and is also a national day of remembrance that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. Though we may only be able to celebrate the Dawn Service with a candle in our front yards, […]