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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 […]

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'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 […]

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'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 […]

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'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 […]

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'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 […]

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'Littlelight Activity Sheet'

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What Colour Is the Sea? is about Koala, a curious creature who wants to know what colour the sea is. But all Koala’s friends give her different answers, and she doesn’t know who to believe, so Koala sets off for the sea, only to discover that all her friends are right – the sea is […]

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'What Colour is the Sea? Activity'

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Backyard Bugs is a boldly illustrated book from First Nations author and illustrator Helen Milroy, which takes you on an adventure through the garden, to search for all the creepy-crawlies that you may find there. Identify the bugs and colour them in this activity sheet that will get kids out in their backyards. Colouring-in activity […]

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'Backyard Bugs Activity'

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The Lost Stone of SkyCity by HM Waugh is a children’s fantasy adventure novel about a village girl who finds herself on a mythical and death-defying quest. The Conquer Dragon Mountain activity sheet incorporates mathematics, and written and visual literacy to foster active listening, counting, reading and receptive language skills. For more teaching activities, download […]

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'The Lost Stone of SkyCity Activity'

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Events

Yuot A. Alaak: Online Event

   March 30, 2022
   4.00pm—6.00pm

Join Yuot A. Alaak, author of Father of the Lost Boys, for the first session of the Readings / Australian Red Cross book club on the laws and impact of war. You do not need to have read the book to enjoy this event! This event is for anyone interested the incredible story of 20,000 […]

Backyard Beasties by Helen Milroy is sending us into the garden to see what creatures live there in this stunning picture book. Backyard Beasties is designed to teach us all about the croaking, barking, screeching, mewling creatures that share our homes, and this activity sheet helps kids identify what lives around us. For more teaching […]

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'Backyard Beasties Activity'

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Events

The Next Big Thing: Known Unknowns Edition

   April 11, 2022
   6.30pm—12.00am
   The Moat, Melbourne

The Wheeler Centre are hosting The Next Big Thing: Known Unknowns Edition on Monday 11 April, and you’re invited. Join five incredible emerging and debut writers, including Zena Cumpston one of the contributors of Unlimited Futures, as they take you to uncanny planes of uncertainty and unfixed possibility. If you like the sound of any of […]

Written by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and illustrated by Sally Morgan, We All Sleep is a picture book that celebrates the interconnectedness of people and animals in lyrical language and sumptuous colour. The Make Your Own Mobile activity sheet is great for expressing creativity and identifying objects. For more teaching activities, download the free teaching notes here.

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'We All Sleep Activity'

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Can a Skeleton Have an X-Ray? is a picture book that sparks young imaginations by visualising all those questions young children love to ask. Each illustration is skillfully drawn by Kyle Hughes-Odgers who brings his unique vision to these and many other questions. The What Lives on Mars? activity sheet was created to inspire creativity. […]

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'Can a Skeleton have an x-ray? 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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'Lighthouse Girl Activity'

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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'

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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'

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I Love Me is a children’s picture book and board book which celebrates individuality and encourages self-esteem. Acclaimed creators Sally Morgan and Ambelin Kwaymullina, this book encourages visual and written comprehension using rhyme and illustrations. The I Love Me Self-Portrait Activity activity is a great learning tool for self-awareness, human anatomy and self-esteem building. For […]

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'I Love Me Activity'

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Dungzilla is a part of the children’s graphic novel series S.Tinker Inc. The series follows Sally Tinker and her brother as they navigate through all of Sally’s inventions – Dungzilla being a giant dung beetle. This activity sheet focuses on children’s research and design skills, and creative ability. For more teaching activities, download the free […]

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'Dungzilla Activity'

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One Thousand Trees is a picture book that tells the story of Frankie, who dreams of a thousand trees … overthem, under them, through them, above them. Kyle Hughes-Odgers takes readers on a journey of imagination and discovery, exploring the art of nature and the nature of art. This activity sheet encourages children to think […]

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'One Thousand Trees Activity'

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Looking Up is a children’s fiction novel by Sally Murphy about a young boy, Pete, who is hoping for a telescope. There’s nothing he wants more for his birthday. But when a mysterious card arrives in the mail, what Pete wants is turned upside down. The Make Your Own Constellation Projector activity sheet was designed […]

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'Looking Up Activity'

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Drawn Onward is a picture book about perspective and differentiates between optimism and pessimism. Created by Meg McKinlay and Andrew Frazer, this book is a call to hope that cleverly illustrates how the very same situation can be viewed quite differently depending on your perspective. The Turn Hopelessness into Hope activity sheet motivates readers to […]

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'Drawn Onward Activity'

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Cyclones and Shadows is a collection of First Nations stories for young readers drawing together four tales from the Waarda series, first edited by acclaimed author Sally Morgan. The Create Your Own Character activity was designed to motivate creative thinking and expression through visual literacy. For more teaching activities, download the free teaching notes click […]

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'Cyclones and Shadows Activity Sheet'

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The Hole Story by Kelly Canby is a joyous story about Charlie who finds a hole. He picks it up and pops it in his pocket. But it doesn’t take Charlie long to realise that a hole in your pocket is not a good thing to have … This activity sheet is designed to develop […]

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'The Hole Story Activity'

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More and More and More by Ian Mulch is a children’s picture book about Henry Harper who hurtles through space and loves collecting things. When he meets a new friend called Kate, they decide to collect more and more and more … until one day, their planet begins to crumble under the weight of all […]

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'More and More and More Activity'

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