100 Australian Books To Read Before High School

100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection

When TES and the National Association for the Teaching of English released their survey results listing teachers’ top 100 fiction books all children should read before leaving primary school I was intrigued. I headed straight to the list and discovered many of my favourites were listed most of which are in our bookcase. But how many were Australian? Less than a handful by my estimate so I decided to challenge myself and create a list of the 100 Australian Books to Read Before High School.

Of course the list is not exhaustive. I have tried not to list my favourite authors over and over again. I could easily list all of Alison Lester, Mem Fox or Pamela Allen’s books and quickly complete the list, but that wouldn’t provide a diverse list at all. It’s well worth checking what other books the authors have written if you like an of the books on the list.

What Australian books would you add that I have missed?100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection

  1. A Bush Christmas CJ Dennis
  2. A Little Bush Maid (Billabong, #1) Mary Grant Bruce
  3. All Through the Year Jane Godwin and Anna Walker.
  4. An Aussie Year Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling
  5. Animalia Graeme Base
  6. A Proper Little Lady Nette Hilton
  7. Are We There Yet? Alison Lester
  8. Arthur Amanda Graha
  9. A Year on Our Farm Penny Matthews100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  10. Bamboozled David Legge
  11. Belonging Jeannie Baker
  12. Big Rain Coming Katrina Germein and Bronwyn Bancroft
  13. Bilby and the Bushfire Joanne Crawford
  14. Billy the Punk Jessica Caroll
  15. Blabber Mouth Morris Gleitzman
  16. Blinky Bill Dorothy Wall
  17. Burke and Wills Roland Harvey
  18. Diary of a Wombat Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
  19. Dog in, Cat Out Gillian Rubinstein
  20. Drac and the Gremlin Allan Baillie Jane Tanner
  21. Edward The Emu Sheena Knowles and Rod Clement 100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  22. Fox Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks
  23. Ginger Meggs Jimmy Bancks
  24. Grug Ted Prior
  25. Hating Alison Ashley Robin Klein
  26. I Can Jump Puddles Alan Marshall
  27. I Love You, Jason Delaney Diana Kidd
  28. It’s a Miroocool! Christine Harris & Ann James
  29. I Went Walking Sue Machin
  30. John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat Jenny Wagner
  31. Just Another Ordinary Da Rod Clement
  32. Lockie Leonard Tim Winton100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  33. Looking for Crabs Bruce Whatley
  34. Mary Poppins  P.L. Travers
  35. Max Bob Graham
  36. Meet Captain Cook Rae Murdie & Chris Nixon
  37. Mirror Jeannie Baker
  38. Mr Archimedes’ Bath Pamela Allen
  39. Mr McGee and the Biting Flea Pamela Allen
  40. Mulga Bill’s Bicycle A.B. Paterson 100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  41. My Farm Alison Leister
  42. My Place Naida Wheatley
  43. Noises at Night Beth R Glass and Susan Lubner
  44. Not a Nibble Elizabeth Honey
  45. Obernewtyn (Obernewtyn Chronicles, #1) Isobelle Carmody
  46. Onion Tears Diana Kidd
  47. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley Aaron Blabey
  48. Penny Pollard’s Letters Robin Klein
  49. Pete the Sheep-Sheep Jackie French
  50. Playing Beatie Bow Ruth Park
  51. Possum in the House Kiersten Jense
  52. Possum Magic Mem Fox
  53. Queenie the Bantam Bob Graham100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  54. Round the Twist Paul Jennings
  55. Rowan of Rin Emily Rodda
  56. Sebastian Lives in a Hat Thelma Catterwell and Kerry Argent
  57. Seven Little Australians Ethel Turner
  58. Shutting in the Chooks Libby Gleeson
  59. Snap Went Chester Tania Cox
  60. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie May Gibbs
  61. Storm Boy Colin Thiele
  62. Tales from Outer Suburbia Shaun Tan 100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  63. The ABC Book of Australian Poetry  Libby Hathorn and Cassandra Allen
  64. The Adventures of Nelly Nolan: The Nelly Gang Stephen Axelsen
  65. The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek Jenny Wagner
  66. The Deliverance of Dancing Bears Elizabeth Stanley
  67. The Giant Devil Dingo Dick Roughsey
  68. The Hero of Little Street Gregory Rogers
  69. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch Ronda and David Armitage
  70. The Little Refugee Anh Do
  71. The Loaded Dog Henry Lawson 100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  72. The Magic Pudding Norman Lindsay
  73. The Midnight Gang Margaret Wild
  74. The Muddle-Headed Wombat Ruth Park
  75. The Rabbits John Marsden
  76. The Rainbow Serpent Dick Roughsey
  77. The Red Wind Isobelle Carmody
  78. The Silver Brumby Elyne Mitchell
  79. The Terrible Plop Ursula Dubosarsky
  80. The 13 Storey Treehouse Andy Griffiths and Terry Dento
  81. The Trouble with Dogs Bob Graham
  82. The Two Bullies Junko Morimoto
  83. The Very Cranky Bear Nick Bland
  84. The Water Tower Gary Crew 100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  85. The Wild One Sonya Hartnett
  86. There’s a Sea in my Bedroom Margaret Wild
  87. Tiddalick The Frog Who Caused a Flood Robert Roennfeldt
  88. Too Loud Lily Sophie Lagua
  89. To The Top End Roland Harvey
  90. Uncanny! Paul Jennings
  91. Victor’s Quest Pamela Freeman
  92. Waltzing Matilda AB Paterson
  93. Weirdo Anh Do  100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection
  94. Where is the Green Sheep? Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
  95. Where the Forest Meets the Sea Jeannie Baker
  96. Who Sank the Boat? Pamela Allen
  97. Whose Tail? Jeannette Rowe
  98. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge Mem Fox
  99. Wombat Stew Marcia Vaughan and Pamela Lofts
  100. You and Me, Murrawee Kerri Hashmi

100 Books To Read Before High School : The Australian Collection

5 thoughts on “100 Australian Books To Read Before High School”

    • I ADORE Playing Beatie Bow. It is also one of my favourites which I mention in our posts from time to time. Jonah *swoon*. I also really liked the movie…..

      Reply
  1. Parrot Carrot plus I’ve got this Hat by Kate and Jol Temple. Aussie couple/authors that have written several great kids books

    Reply

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