The moving coming-of-age novel tells the story of Kirali Lewis, a young woman from Australia of South East Australian Aboriginal heritage. However, Kirali has no personal connection to her heritage as she did not grow up in its community or with the Aborigines’ traditions- Kiralli was adopted by a white family. Her story begins in […]
Stacey and Laney are twins, but couldn’t be any more different. While Stacey hates breaking rules, Laney regularly skips schools to hang out with her boyfriend. So noone is immediately concerned when Laney goes missing,except for her twin. Stacey is convinced something is seriously wrong and is plagued by terrifying dreams of Laney. Can she […]
This picture book is a fable of colonisation. While both the writer and the illustrator live in Australia, the stylised illustrations and the abstract descriptions manage to provide a more general understanding of the experience of a culture feeling overrun by another. The story is told from the perspective of numbat-like creatures who experience how […]
“It will happen. … maybe you’re just not listening to the poetry right.” In this spoken word poem, the speaker conveys experiences of her sexuality being dismissed; wrapped up in the metaphor of “don’t worry the poem will get good“. The performance can act as an introduction to discussions surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, identity, sexuality, stereotypes, […]
This award-winning play offers five perspectives on alienation, forced assimilation and removal, hope and the struggle to find one’s identity. It explores the stories of five Aboriginal children that were taken away from their parents by the Australian government. As part of the Stolen Generation, Sandy, Ruby, Jimmy, Anne, and Shirley have lived very different […]
Set in Germany during World War II, this historical novel follows the coming of age story of Liesel Meminger. Surrounded by hatred and destruction, Liesel struggles to maintain the innocence of childhood. Her foster parents take in a Jewish man, Hans, and hide him from the authorities. Hans teaches Liesel to read, and she goes […]
A collection of poetry and prose originally published in 1970 that critically reflects the past, present and future of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia. The lines of Oodgeroo – also known as Kath Walker – problematise Australia’s colonial history, demand for Aboriginal rights, respect, justice and offer hope and reconciliation. The […]
This graphic novel does not need a single written word to tell its story about migrating from one country to another. Using the outside form of an old picture book, it depicts the story of a man journeying to a strange country to find a new home for his family. On the way, he encounters […]
A story about an unforeseen Arctic adventure. Girl is the name of a Labrador made of fibreglass, whose job it is to raise money for the Royal Guard Dogs. Then one day she is dognapped, renamed Stay and finds herself on board the ship Aurora Australis on a trip to Antarctica. How is a fibreglass […]
This semi-autobiographical novel recounts a fascinating adventure about criminality, individual freedom and the willingness to help. Partly inspired by real-life events of its author Gregory Roberts the text offers an insight in a world of poverty, social stratification, crime and drug abuse. Jailed for multiple accounts of robbery, the narrator escapes from his Australian prison […]
This historical novel about racism, war, the abuse of power and the holocaust, is the kick-off to a series of five: Felix is a 9-year-old Jewish boy hiding in Nazi-occupied Poland 1942. Separated from his parents, he is waiting in an orphanage, under the impression that his parents are just trying to save their book […]
In this verse novel about homelessness, friendship and the willingness to help, 16-year-old Billy runs away from his abusive father – he much rather lives in an old railroad carriage than at what used to be ‘home’. There he meets a man called Old Bill, an alcoholic, and Caitlin, a rich but deeply dissatisfied girl. […]
The illustrations in this book not only tell the story of a heartwarming family adventure but also show the cultural richness of Australia. The little possum Hush was made invisible by his Grandma Poss, who possesses magic, to protect him from the Australian bush dangers. When Hush wants to be able to see himself again, […]
You may think Australian wombats don’t do much except eat, sleep and dig. Well, this little wombat is different. Not only does he eat, sleep and dig, he also trains humans to do work for him like give him treats. This illustrated (and hilarious) story shows us that we may all share some qualities with […]
In this dystopian future set in Australia, there are no more bees in the whole wide world. Children are charged with hand pollination, trying to replace the bees as best they can, but 9-year-old Peony is still too young to take on the job. Nevertheless, she is convinced that she would make a fabulous bee […]
Three verses verbalise the answer to the child’s question, while exploring the motif of cars as a symbol for the standard of living and environmental pollution.
A biographical novel on racism, colonialism, dispossession, loss, identity and the ‘Stolen Generations’. This personal account tells the story of three young Aboriginal girls: After they have been taken away from their parents, Molly, Daisy and Gracie manage to escape from the Moor River Native settlement – an internment camp for Aboriginal people. They set […]