The Enemy

The Enemy by Davide Cali, illustrated by Serge Bloch and published by Wilkins Farago, in association with Amnesty International Australia is a powerful picture book for older readers, set in a barren desert during wartime; there are two holes, each inhabited by a soldier and they are enemies. This story, with sparse text is told […]

You Don’t Know What War Is: The diary of a young girl from Ukraine

You Don’t Know What War Is: The diary of a young girl from Ukraine written by twelve-year-old Yeva Skalietska, living in Kharviv when she was jolted awake on February 24, 2022 to the horrifying sound and sight of an explosion. This is Yeva’s gripping firsthand account of her days (up to Day 67, May 1, […]

One More Mountain

Title: One More Mountain Authors: Deborah Ellis Publisher: Allen and Unwin Publication date: November 1, 2022 RRP: $16.99 (AUD) Teaching resource: A comprehensive teaching resource written by Robyn Sheahan-Bright is available to download from the Allen and Unwin website. One More Mountain, the fifth book in the Parvana series by Deborah Ellis is set in modern-day Afghanistan in 2021 […]

Books for Anzac Day – Part 2

Books for Anzac Day (first blog post containing seventeen books can be found on the Reading Opens Doors blog here). One way for children to learn about Anzac day, in a way that is accessible for them is through books that sensitively tell stories about the men and women who served – stories about their […]

Charlie’s Swim

Charlie’s Swim written by proud Bardi woman Edith Wright and illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, descendant of the Bundjalung people from the Clarence River and published by Magabala Books is a true story that honours the author’s selfless and courageous uncle, Charles D’Antoine, who showed enormous bravery during World War II. Charlie displayed such courage and […]