As we count down to the end of 2025, many of us are looking forward to the summer holidays. It’s the perfect time to get some rest and relaxation at the end of a busy year. It’s also an excellent opportunity to pick up a good book! Research shows that reading for pleasure can help us reduce stress, get a better night’s sleep, and even lower our risk of depression. So why not settle in over the holidays with your next read?
At Reading Australia, we believe that every society needs to tell its own stories, which is why we offer more than 300 quality and insightful teaching resources for diverse Australian literature. If you’re looking for books that provide positive representation and appeal to a wide range of interests, you’ve come to the right place. And don’t forget: all of these titles have (or will soon have) high quality, curriculum-aligned, and freely available teaching resources! That’s sure to put you in good spirits for the new year.
Books for younger readers
Runt by Craig Silvey (Allen & Unwin, 2022)
Suitable for: Ages 8+
Why we love it: Runt is the story of a young girl and her dog who enter a competition to save their family farm. This bestselling award-winner reads like a classic children’s story with lessons about friendship, perseverance, and honesty. It also depicts life in a small country town and the bond between humans and animals.
Also in this series: Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping (2025)
Come Over to My House by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin, illus. Daniel Gray-Barnett (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, 2022)
Suitable for: Ages 3+
Why we love it: Come Over to My House is a rhyming picture book that explores the home lives of children and parents who are Deaf or disabled. Co-authored by disability advocate Eliza Hull and Australian Children’s Laureate Sally Rippin, it provides positive representation and will inspire respectful and inclusive conversations about disability, diversity, and accessibility.
Also in this series: The World We Can Build (2025)
Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd, illus. Jake A. Minton (Little Book Press, 2025)
Suitable for: Ages 4+
Why we love it: Luna Roo is an underdog story about a rookie football captain in the Animal World Cup, perfect for little football fans and wildlife warriors alike. It was recently announced as the National Simultaneous Storytime book for 2026, meaning that families, libraries, schools, and early learning centres across the country will read Luna Roo at the same time on 27 May!
Dirrarn by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler (Magabala Books, 2023)
Suitable for: Ages 10+
Why we love it: Dirrarn is part of a bestselling series co-authored by Jaru/Kija man Carl Merrison and educator Hakea Hustler. It follows a young Jaru girl who has left her community in the Kimberley to go to boarding school in Perth. Dirrarn explores themes of bullying, homesickness, and what it means to be strong.
Also in this series: Black Cockatoo (2018) and Ngurra Home (2025)
Be Careful, Xiao Xin! by Alice Pung, illus. Sher Rill Ng (HarperCollins Publishers Australia, 2022)
Suitable for: Ages 4+
Why we love it: Be Careful, Xiao Xin! is a beautifully illustrated bilingual picture book about a boy who becomes frustrated by his overprotective Chinese-Australian family. The story encourages children to reflect on their strengths and consider how the dynamics in their own families and households may differ from others.
Stay for Dinner by Sandhya Parappukkaran, illus. Michelle Pereira (Hardie Grant Publishing, 2023)
Suitable for: Ages 3+
Why we love it: In Stay for Dinner, a young Kerala Indian girl discovers that her friends all eat in different ways, and wonders what they will think when they see her family eating with their hands. This book celebrates culture and connection through food, and highlights the importance of community and acceptance.
Also in this series: The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name (2021)
The Little Wave by Pip Harry (UQP, 2019)
Suitable for: Ages 8+
Why we love it: The Little Wave focuses on a Manly school that hosts a visit from a school in the country. It’s a poignant and accessible verse novel that alternates between the perspectives of three very different children, and explores ideas about courage, new experiences, and what it means to be a true friend.
Australia: Country of Colour by Jess Racklyeft (Affirm Press, 2023)
Suitable for: Ages 3+
Why we love it: Australia: Country of Colour is an illustrated non-fiction book about Australia’s landscapes, flora, and fauna. The information is presented through the lens of the colour wheel and incorporates scientific knowledge, animal and plant recognition, and the importance of caring for Country.
Frank’s Red Hat by Sean E. Avery (Walker Books Australia, 2022)
Suitable for: Ages 4+
Why we love it: Frank’s Red Hat is a witty story about a penguin whose colourful ideas clash with his friends’ black-and-white thinking. It’s a cheeky and light-hearted way to explore ideas about perseverance and determination, and to encourage children not to give up on what they love to do.
Also in this series: Neville’s Great Escape (2025)
Wurrtoo: The Wombat Who Fell in Love with the Sky by Tylissa Elisara, illus. Dylan Finney (Hachette Australia, 2024)
Suitable for: Ages 8+
Why we love it: In Wurrtoo, a wombat from Kangaroo Island is joined by a koala on a journey to the Forest of Dreaming. This enchanting illustrated novel draws on classic children’s literature, incorporating Tylissa Elisara’s Narungga, Kaurna, and Adnyamathanha heritage in a story about friendship, adventure, and facing your fears.
Books for older readers
Limberlost by Robbie Arnott (Text Publishing, 2022)
Suitable for: Ages 17+
Why we love it: Limberlost, the third novel by Tasmanian author Robbie Arnott, follows the experiences of a young man whose choices over one summer shape the rest of his life. This is a profound story about grief, family, and seasons of life and land, featuring a protagonist whose coming of age will resonate with other young male readers.
The F Team by Rawah Arja (Giramondo Publishing, 2020)
Suitable for: Ages 15+
Why we love it: In The F Team, four young men from Punchbowl are forced to team up with boys from Cronulla to save their school from closure. This debut novel by Rawah Arja provides important representation for Lebanese and Muslim communities, and explores ideas about masculinity, multiculturalism, and the power of words.
Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller (UQP, 2019)
Suitable for: Ages 15+
Why we love it: Ghost Bird is set in rural Queensland in 1999 and follows a young Murri woman whose twin sister mysteriously disappears. This gripping story about kinship and the ongoing effects of colonialism is deeply rooted in the author’s culture and experiences as a Murri woman.
The Coconut Children by Vivian Pham (Penguin Books Australia, 2021)
Suitable for: Ages 15+
Why we love it: Another novel set in the 1990s, The Coconut Children follows two Vietnamese-Australian teenagers on the cusp of adulthood in Cabramatta. This haunting novel deals with intergenerational trauma and the experiences of refugees. A highly-anticipated stage adaptation will headline Belvoir St Theatre’s 2026 season.
Ghost Book by Remy Lai (Allen & Unwin, 2023)
Suitable for: Ages 12+
Why we love it: Ghost Book tells the story of a girl who meets a wandering soul caught between the worlds of the living and the dead. Inspired by Chinese mythology, this contemporary fantasy graphic novel is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli, and accessible and engaging for all sorts of readers.
Inkflower by Suzy Zail (Walker Books Australia, 2023)
Suitable for: Ages 14+
Why we love it: Inkflower is a YA novel about a Holocaust survivor who is ready to share his story, and his 16-year-old daughter who is keeping secrets of her own. Based on a true story and written by the child of a survivor, this novel explores World War II, antisemitism, and dying – but also hope, healing, and resilience.
The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks (Hachette Australia, 2020)
Suitable for: Ages 12+
Why we love it: Also based on true events, The Year the Maps Changed tells the story of a young Victorian girl whose life becomes intertwined with a group of Kosovo-Albanian refugees. It’s a moving coming-of-age story that features a blended family dealing with different kinds of losses and forging new bonds.
It’s the Sound of the Thing by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Hardie Grant Publishing, 2023)
Suitable for: Ages 12+
Why we love it: It’s the Sound of the Thing is a collection of poetry about everyday and magical things. It’s the perfect way to introduce young people to poetry, featuring a wide range of poetic forms – haiku, sonnets, free verse, tongue-twisters and more – and topics to suit almost every interest.
Also in this series: Stuff I’m (Not) Sorry For (2025)
Kindred by Kirli Saunders (Magabala Books, 2019)
Suitable for: Ages 15+
Why we love it: Kindred is the debut poetry collection by proud Gunai woman Kirli Saunders. It is a collection of free verse poems that explore the importance of Country, identity, culture, and community. It also touches on the injustices faced by Aboriginal people in an age-appropriate and sensitive manner.
The Growing Up series (Black Inc.)
Suitable for: Ages 15+
Why we love it: Black Inc. has been publishing its Growing Up series since 2008. These collections of memoirs and interviews speak to the diversity of coming-of-age experiences in different contexts around the country. Reading Australia currently has resources for Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia ed. Anita Heiss (2018), Growing Up Disabled in Australia ed. Carly Findlay (2021), and Growing Up in Country Australia ed. Rick Morton (2022).
Also in this series: Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Australia (2024), Growing Up Queer in Australia (2019), and more