Australia Reads: 4 Special Edition Books for Kids and Teens

Australia Reads is a wonderful not-for-profit initiative on a mission to get kids and adults alike to spend more time reading, something we also love to champion at Better Reading!

In September 2021 Australia Reads held the Australian Reading Hour, with lots of online events for book lovers. It was a great success! We held our very own Facebook live event with author and Australia Reads ambassador Adrian Beck. Check it out here if you haven’t seen it yet.

In celebration of this year’s Australian Reading Hour, four special edition kids and young adult books were published! Read about each of the fantastic books here:

AFL Little Legends: The Missing Cup by Adrian Beck and Nicole Hayes

Perfect for fans of Tiny Timmy, Real Pigeons and Weirdo, Little Legends is the only official AFL junior fiction series. It’s packed with fun and will entertain footy-mad kids for hours.

Ages 5+

Little Book, BIG Universe by Professor Lisa Harvey Smith, illustrated by the First Dog on the Moon

The perfect book for aspiring amateur astronomers and anyone just fascinated by our wonderful night sky. This brilliant step-by-step fun guide to exploring Australia’s night skies is full of mind-blowing facts about our cosmos designed for curious minds.

Ages 8+

The Magnificent Hercules Quick by Ursula Dubosarky, illustrated by Andrew Joyner

From the current Australian Children’s Laureate, Ursula Dubosarky and the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop. Hercules Quick dreams of being a magnificent magician. Luckily, he has plenty of neighbours who need his help.

Ages 5+

The Deep End by Jenna Guillaume

A new novella by acclaimed YA author of What I Like About Me and You Were Made For Me. When Rosie embarrasses herself at the school swimming carnival, she vows to never step in the pool again. Then Jake Owen, the best swimmer (and hottest boy) in her year says he’ll give her lessons.

Ages 12+