Reading Recommendations
Early Childhood
These are books for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading. They may be picture books, picture story books, or text in which illustrations play a substantial part in the storytelling or concept development.
Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey
Baby Beats by Karen Blair
Monster Chef by Nick Bland
My Dad Is a Bear by Nicola Connelly and Annie White
Bridie’s Boots by Phil Cummings and Sara Acton
Tim and Ed by Ursula Dubosarsky and Andrew Joyner
Scary Night by Lesley Gibbes and Stephen Michael King
Go to Sleep, Jessie! by Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood
B is for Bedtime by Margaret Hamilton and Anna Pignataro
A House of Her Own by Jenny Hughes and Jonathan Bentley
Snail and Turtle are Friends by Stephen Michael King
Our Island by Alison Lester and Elizabeth Honey
Noni the Pony Goes to the Beach by Alison Lester
Max by Marc Martin
One Night by Penny Matthews and Stephen Michael King
Kick with My Left Foot by Paul Seden and Karen Briggs
Big Pet Day by Lisa Shanahan and Gus Gordon
Whale in the Bath by Kylie Westaway and Tom Jellett
Chooky-doodle-doo by Jan Whiten and Sinéad Hanley
This Little Piggy Went Singing by Margaret Wild and Deborah Niland
Picture Book
These are books in which the story, theme or concept is unified through illustrations. They may be for any age group, from the very young to young adults.
Rivertime by Trace Balla
The Amazing A to Z Thing by Bronwyn Bancroft and Sally Morgan
A House of Her Own by Jonathan Bentley and Jenny Hughes
The Brothers Quibble by Aaron Blabey
My Two Blankets by Freya Blackwood and Irena Kobald
Hello from Nowhere by Karen Blair and Raewyn Caisley
One Minute’s Silence by Michael Camilleri and David Metzenthen
Top Dog by Rod Clement
Vanilla Ice Cream by Bob Graham
Tea and Sugar Christmas by Robert Ingpen and Jane Jolly
The Duck and the Darklings by Stephen Michael King and Glenda Millard
Once a Shepherd by Phil Lesnie and Glenda Millard
Along the Road to Gundagai by Andrew McLean and Jack O’Hagan
The Wild One by Lucia Masciullo and Sonia Hartnett
I Was Only Nineteen by Craig Smith and John Schumann
Outside by Ritva Voutila and Libby Hathorn
The Stone Lion by Ritva Voutila and Margaret Wild
Fire by Bruce Whatley and Jackie French
Middle to Upper Primary Readers
These books are for readers who have developed independent reading skills but are still developing in literary appreciation, usually middle to upper primary readers.
Two Wolves by Tristan Banks
The Adventures of Stunt Boy and his Amazing Wonder Dog Blindfold by Lollie Barr
Violet Mackerel’s Helpful Suggestion by Anna Branford and Sarah Davis
The Simple Things by Bill Condon and Beth Norling
Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy by Karen Foxlee
The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and The Present by Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood
Kelsey and the Quest of the Porcelain Doll by Rosanne Hawke
Bleakboy and Hunter Stand Out in the Rain by Steven Herrick
Through My Eyes: Malini by Robert Hillman
Figgy in the World by Tamsin Janu
City of Orphans: A Very Singular Guild by Catherine Jinks
Tea and Sugar Christmas by Jane Jolly and Robert Ingpen
Going Bush with Grandpa by Sally Morgan, Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Craig Smith
Roses are Blue by Sally Murphy and Gabriel Evans
Crossing by Catherine Norton
The Firebird Mystery: A Jack Mason Adventure by Darrell Pitt
Withering-by-Sea: A Stella Montgomery Intrigue by Judith Rossell
The Ratcatcher’s Daughter by Pamela Rushby
Truly Tan: Freaked! by Jen Storer and Claire Robertson
The Mapmaker Chronicles: Race to the End of the World by A.L. Tait
Paper Planes by Allayne L. Webster
Older Readers
These books require of the reader a degree of maturity to appreciate the topics, themes and scope of emotional involvement. Generally, books in this category will be appropriate in style and content for readers in their secondary years of schooling.
Nona & Me by Clare Atkins
Intruder by Christine Bongers
Wrath by Anne Davies
Masquerade by Kylie Fornasier
I am Juliet by Jackie French
Loyal Creatures by Morris Gleitzman
Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth
The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil
Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier
The Astrologer’s Daughter by Rebecca Lim
Tigers on the Beach by Doug MacLeod
The Crystal Heart by Sophie Masson
Tigerfish by David Metzenthen
The Colours of Madeleine: The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty
The Year it all Ended by Kirsty Murray
As Stars Fall by Christie Nieman
Laurinda by Alice Pung
The Ratcatcher’s Daughter by Pamela Rushby
The Minnow by Diana Sweeney
Alexander Altmann A10567 by Suzy Zail
The Protected by Claire Zorn
Information Books for Children
A-Z of Convicts in Van Diemen’s Land by Simon Barnard
Australian Federation: One People, One Destiny by Net Brennan
Coming of Age: Growing up Muslim in Australia by Demet Divaroren and Amra Pajalic (Editors)
Meet Douglas Mawson by Mike Dumbleton and Snip Green
Mary’s Australia: How Mary Mackillop Changed Australia by Pamela Freeman
Australia’s Greatest Landmarks and Locations by Virginia Grant
Midnight: The Story of the Light Horse by Mark Greenwood and Frané Lessac
Tea and Sugar Christmas by Jane Jolly and Robert Ingpen
Our Island by Alison Lester and Elizabeth Honey
One Minute’s Silence by David Metzenthen and Michael Camilleri
The Soldier’s Gift by Tony Palmer and Jane Tanner
The Poppy by Andrew Plant
Emily Eases her Wheezes by Katrina Roe and Leigh Hedstrom
Emu by Claire Saxby and Graham Byrne
Audacity: Stories of Heroic Australians in Wartime by Carlie Walker
The Afghanistan Pup by Mark Wilson
