On Gallant Wings
The latest historical fiction novel by Helen Edwards, On Gallant Wings, published by Riveted Press, distributed by Simon and Schuster,is an enthralling story that brings a part of Australia’s history alive. Readers are immersed in Ava’s world during World War II when Darwin was bombed and what the aftermath of that looked and felt like; […]
All The Beautiful Things
All the Beautiful Things by Katrina Nannestad with illustrations by Martina Heiduczek is a meticulously researched, enthralling historical fiction novel aimed for readers 10+. This story is set in the Bavarian Alps in World War II between 1943 and 1945. It is about belonging and what it was like to live in Germany during WWII […]
The Rebels of Mount Buffalo
The Rebels of Mount Buffalo by Helen Edwards is an absorbing Australian historical fiction, time slip novel for upper primary readers. In this story, Clara is trying to navigate a new, unfamiliar world since the passing of her adored twin brother Darius. She carries emotions that are often associated with grief, anger, guilt and an […]
Outlaw Girls
Title: Outlaw Girls Authors: Emily Gale and Nova Weetman Publisher: Text Publishing Publication date: February 2024 Comprehensive teachers’notes and an excellent free activity pack for class use (with primary source material and activities) is available from Text Publishing here Two girls, from two very different time periods, both reside in regional Victoria and are daring, not afraid […]
A Message Through Time
Title: A Message Through Time Author: Anna Ciddor Publisher: Allen and Unwin Publication date: 4 April 2023 Themes: Ancient Roman childhood, friendship, family dynamics, adventure, courage, resilience, gender roles, past and present Additional notable information: Extremely comprehensive teachers’ notes can be downloaded from the Allen and Unwin website here. A Message Through Time by Anna Ciddor and […]
Read Aloud Books for Children in Middle Primary School (Years 3 and 4)
The following books are ones I have read aloud to my children and some of our favourites from the past two years. This collection is by no means exhaustive. As always please read the books yourself to assess suitability for the children you intend to share the book with. The personal experiences and histories of […]
Interned
Interned by Pamela Rushby and published by Walker Books Australia is a well-paced and meticulously researched read that opened our eyes (I read this as a read aloud with my children) to yet another shameful and racist part of Australia’s history. This story is set mostly in the fictional rural town of Bornabba in Australia […]
Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief
‘Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief’ by Katrina Nannestad, award-winning author of ‘We Are Wolves’, is one of our family’s favourite read aloud books of 2021. ‘Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief’ has been responsible for many later than usual bed times as we were utterly captivated by this story. This historical fiction book is inspired by real people […]