News

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. […]

Activity Sheet

'Mel and Shell Activity'

Download activity sheet

Stellarphant tells the story of Stella, who wants to become an astronaut. There’s only one problem: Stella is an elephant. James Foley’s picture book was created to teach children about equity, diversity, feminism, equality and discrimination. This activity encourages children to use fine motors skills and express ideas using visual literacy. For more teaching activities, […]

Activity Sheet

'Stellarphant Activity'

Download activity sheet

I first met Wendy Jenkins sometime in the late 90s. I had submitted a manuscript to Fremantle Press, and Wendy called me in for a chat. She said my writing was lovely but there were a couple of problems: my novel had no plot, and as for the parts that tried to tell the history […]

At the Dog Park is a picture book about dogs and opposites. It is for younger readers who love dogs and rhyming words. Moira Court got the idea after adopting her beautiful kelpie mix Lucy from SAFE Perth – an animal rescue organisation. (Lucy is on the front cover!)

Activity Sheet

'Pet Portrait'

Download activity sheet

To the Lighthouse is a children’s adventure novel about two children exploring Rottnest Island. Cristy Burne wrote this novel to inspire creativity, daring and resilience in her readers. The Design Your Own Holiday Adventure activity sheet encourages creative thinking, geography skills and visual learning. For more teaching activities, download the free teaching notes here.

Activity Sheet

'To the Lighthouse Activity'

Download activity sheet

At the Dog Park by Moira Court is a children’s picture book which incorporates lively prose and different art mediums to teach children about opposites. The Opposites activity sheet is designed to teach children about antonyms and opposites, developing their visual and written literacy, fine motor skills and identification skills. For more teaching activities, download […]

Activity Sheet

'At the Dog Park Opposites Activity'

Download activity sheet

We’ve all got our own special talent that makes us unique and in Wombat Can’t Sing by Katie Stewart, Wombat learns his in this heart-warming tale about learning your limits and finding your strengths. This activity sheet is designed to get kids thinking about what skills are unique to those around us and how these […]

Activity Sheet

'Wombat Can't Sing Activity'

Download activity sheet

A change in the weather may be here but you can keep the summer holiday adventures alive with Cristy Burne’s activity booklet. Inspired by her book To the Lighthouse, an adventure packed story about friends Isaac and Emmy exploring Rottnest Island, Cristy has put together a host of activities for kids to do, either by […]

Cristy Burne’s book, Off the Track, has been voted WA’s favourite book by the state’s young readers. Cristy beat out the Wimpy Kid, David Walliams, Tom Gates and Ahn Do to take the 2022 West Australian Young Readers Book Award for Younger Readers. Some 26,000 votes were cast by WA readers across four categories. Cristy […]

It is with deep regret that Fremantle Press acknowledges Wendy Jenkins AM, who passed away suddenly late last week at the age of 70. She is survived by her sister Lois and brother John. Wendy’s career at Fremantle Press spanned four decades as a manuscript assessor and mentor, editor and writer. We were proud to […]

Grab your copy of Rodney and follow along as Kelly Canby reads aloud – then complete your feedback form below for your chance to win extra books for your Bookaburras. Win more books for your Bookaburras Complete our fun activity for little Bookaburras in your classroom to win more books for your students. The first […]

Beneath the trees and scenic lighting of the Fremantle Arts Centre, we awaited the announcement of the winner of the 2022 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, while hearing from 18 Fremantle Press authors pitching their newly published books. Our witty MCs and authors, Helen Milroy and Holden Sheppard, opened the evening followed by an Acknowledgement […]

Sienna Rose Scully is the youngest of four children. She is an Integrated Marketing Communications graduate who grew up in Noongar Whadjuk Boodja (Fremantle), Western Australia. Sienna has dealt with OCD since childhood and is passionate about bringing awareness to what this disorder entails and to help other OCD sufferers. She is a contributor to […]

Noongar Boodja Waangkan: Noongar First Words by Wadjak Balardong Noongar and Badimaya Yamatji author Jayden Boundry, and Wardandi Noongar and Ait Koedhal illustrator Tyrown Waigana, is an illustrated book of first Noongar words. Created for those interested in learning about the vibrant, living First Nations language and culture of the Noongar people. The book covers words for family, […]

Activity Sheet

'Noongar Boodja Waangkan posters'

Download activity sheet

One of my favourite features of novels – and one that makes the art form different to many others – is their ability to take on the perspectives, words and thoughts of a fictional character. As readers, we feel the intimacy of being told a story and enjoy the benign voyeurism of having a window […]

A showcase of WA comedy, featuring twenty-five shows over four venues across Perth, is taking place this November. Some of WA’s funniest ever are performing at WA Comedy Week to remind us all where they came from. Jon Doust – who will not be in the showcase as he is way too old, no longer […]

Stellarphant by James Foley is one of just five Australian titles to make the 2022 White Ravens list. Compiled by the team of experts at the International Youth Library, the list features 200 titles in 37 languages from 53 countries. All are recently published books that they consider especially noteworthy and of international interest, and […]

Fremantle author Molly Schmidt has won the 2022 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award for her manuscript Salt River Road. She takes home a $15,000 cash prize and a publishing contract with Fremantle Press. Judged anonymously, the biennial prize is in its 32nd year and is presented to an emerging West Australian writer for their first […]

Joy Killian-Essert joins the podcast to chat with Maria Papas, winner of the 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, about her manuscript, The Slow Patience of the Sea & Other Stories – an immersive and intimate collection of short stories that weaves its narrative closely with nature. For Joy, the process of writing has been […]

Noongar Boodja Waangkan: Noongar First Words by Wadjak Balardong Noongar and Badimaya Yamatji author Jayden Boundry, and Wardandi Noongar and Ait Koedhal illustrator Tyrown Waigana, is an illustrated book of first Noongar words. Created for those interested in learning about the vibrant, living First Nations language and culture of the Noongar people. The book covers words for family, […]

Activity Sheet

'Noongar Boodja Waangkan Stickers'

Download activity sheet

We invite all transgender and gender diverse storytellers and readers to join us for Trans Stories Matter: a publishing industry panel discussion about transgender stories and representation. Hosted by editor and founder of Get YA Words Out, Seth Malacari (he/they), guests will include Nat Latter (they/them) from Rabble Books & Games and Fremantle Press publishers Georgia Richter […]

The Ghost of Gracie Flynn is part of a long tradition of novels with otherworldly narrators. I gave Gracie the reins because I felt that the various points of view I’d created in early drafts needed a compelling, omniscient perspective to pull them all together. And I’m glad I did that because it turned out […]

On leaving home When I left Melbourne at the age of twenty-one, I left behind the squelching autumn leaves that fell from the big European trees along the Yarra. I left behind bracing clifftop walks on Phillip Island with my two best partners-in-writing, and the salami we placed where the phone handset should be. I […]

Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She has always had a passionate interest in health and wellbeing, especially for children, which is why she became a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. In this Q&A the talented writer and illustrator tells us about her latest book. Tell […]