Book-A-Like: Stories to inspire curiosity beyond the classroom

Where's Walley? - Martin Hanford

Where's Wally challenges readers to find the right information amongst an excess of details. This book is all about using clues to find exactly what your are looking for. SCIS does the same with metadata, helping to catalogue and discover resources, information and books.

Explore SCIS today.

Welcome to our Table - Laura Mucha and Ed Smith

Welcome to Our Table introduces young readers to foods, traditions and cultures from around the world. ELLA's play-based digital learning program encourages students to have curiosity about other languages, cultures and traditions.

Find out more.

Sophie's Prize - Jennie Marston

Sophie has just won $100 dollars in an art competition. What will she do with her money? Will she save it or spend it? What would you do? This novel invites readers to consider the impact of saving money and reflect on the impact of small wins.

Help students build confidence with money and decision-making, and extend learning with resources from the Maths Hub.

Looking for resources to introduce financial literacy to students across Foundation to Year 2? Try this resource from the Maths Hub.

What Do People Do All Day? - Richard Scarry

Introduce children to the many jobs and roles that help communities thrive. myfuture encourages students to explore their interests and begin imagining future possibilities.

Visit myfuture for resources to support career education.

Once I Was a Giant - Zeno Sworder

This novel tells the story of a creative with writers block whose wooden pencil comes to life recounting it's past life as a giant forest tree and it's relationship with a small wanderer. The Educational Lending Rights (ELR) Scheme supports Australian authors and illustrators who create stories like this, ensuring students can continue to access books that inspire creativity, wonder and a lifelong love of reading. 

Find out more about the Educational Lending Rights Scheme. 

Rosie Revere, Engineer - Andrea Beaty

Rosie Revere, Engineer celebrates creativity, perseverance and learning through trial and error. The Get into STEM Toolkit inspires students to apply these same skills as they explore STEM concepts and solve real-world challenges. 

Explore the Get into STEM Toolkit.

Room On Our Rock - Kate and Jol Temple

Two seals are perched on a rock. When others need shelter, what do they do? This picture book can be read two ways. When read from front to back, the seals believe there is no more room on their rock, when read back to front, they welcome the others in.

Room On Our Rock encourages readers to see situations from different perspectives and consider the experiences of others. The Student Wellbeing Hub builds on these themes, providing resources to explore empathy, inclusion and positive relationships.

Download this classroom plan on exploring inclusion.

The Bully Bus - Katheryn Apel

The Bully Bus follows a young student navigating the challenges of bullying and finding the courage to speak up. Bullying No Way extends learning with resources to help students understand bullying behaviours, develop empathy and learn where and when to seek help.

Use this resource to better understand what bullying is.

Elephant Island - Leo Timmers

A shipwrecked elephant named Arnold washes up on a tiny island. As others face the same fate, they use the wreckage to make the island bigger, turning it into a fun city. Elephant Island shows how creativity and teamwork can help overcome unexpected challenges. 

How will you encourage curiosity and ingenuity in your classroom? Try the lesson plan I am an inventor for Years 5-6 to learn about simple machines.

Mapping My Day - Julie Dillemuth

This story follows Flora as she takes us through her day with a series of maps. From her home's layout to her aunt's dog agility course, she turns her daily adventures into a colourful map of her life. Mapping My Day introduces students to the concepts of mapping, spatial awareness and problem-solving. Explore resources at the Maths Hub to help students better understand and navigate the world around them.

Use the Planning tool to see how learning about space develops across the curriculum.

The Little Wave - Pip Harry

This novel, set during a school trip to the beach, follows three children from different background as they face personal challenges and form a strong friendship. The Student Wellbeing Hub supports students to build self-awareness, connections and wellbeing beyond the classroom.

Explore the Student Wellbeing Hub today.

Sick Bay - Nova Weetman

This novel tells the story Meg and Riley who form an unlikely friendship after meeting in the school's Sick Bay. As they navigate challenges, they learn the power of empathy, connection and embracing ones true self. 

The Student Wellbeing Hub provides practical tools and resources to help students build confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging.

Explore resources on belonging.

Story Thieves - James Riley

Story Thieves follows Owen, as he finds out that his classmate Bethany can jump into books, leading them on an adventure that risks real and fictional worlds collapsing. SCIS helps students discover and access stories and information that inspire curiosity and further exploration. 

Explore articles on reading and discovery.

The 113th Assistant Librarian - Stuart Wilson

This fantasy adventure follows Oliver, who expects his new job at a local library to be boring. He soon discovers that the books holder great power and secrets, he needs to learn fast if he wants to live longer than the 112 assistant librarians before him.

Find out more about how the Educational Lending Rights Scheme supports Australian authors and illustrators to create stories that inspire wonder and a love of reading in students. 

Wolf Girl - Anh Do

A girl who discovers courage and confidence while surviving in the wilderness. myfuture encourages students to recognise their strengths and provides resources to help students feel more confident navigating pathways and future decisions. 

Explore myfuture today.

The Paperbark Tree Committee - Karys McEwan

Twelve-year-old Art and his younger brother are best friends, when life needs sorting out they climb a paperbark tree and talk. Art isn't sure if he wants to be part of the paperbark tree committee anymore, he's getting older and thinks he needs to solve problems on his own. This novel explores lifes transitions, bullying and learning to lean on the people in our communities.

Bullying No Way supports the whole school community to build positive relationships, seek support and better understand and address bullying. 

Explore resources to understand, prevent and respond to bullying.

The Rosie Project, Graeme Simison

The Rosie Project follows a genetics professor who develops a questionnaire to find the perfect wife. His plan uravels when he meets Rosie whose on a mission to find her biological father. This novel inspires readers to apply scientific thinking, curiosity and problem-solving to real-world situations.

Explore resources that inspire curiosity.

How it Feels to Float - Helena Fox

How it Feels to Float follows a young person's journey through identity, relationships, grief and mental wellbeing. This novel captures living with mental illness and grief, and the importance of finding support and connections.

The Student Wellbeing Hub provides trusted resources that help students better understand mental health, recognise when they might need support, and build confidence to seek help when needed.

Explore resources to better understand mental health and wellbeing.

Content note: This book contains themes of mental health, grief, and loss that may be challenging for some readers. 

Is Maths Real? - Eugenia Cheng

This book encourage students to explore the big questions behind numbers and mathematical thinking. The Maths Hub helps connect these ideas to real-world challenges and everyday decision making. 

Explore the Maths Hub.

Feeling Sorry for Celia - Jaclyn Moriarty

This funny and touching novel, told through letters, notes and messages follows Elizabeth as she worries for her best friend Celia and participates in a pen pal project. The Educational Lending Rights (ELR) Scheme supports Australian authors and illustrators who create stories like this, ensuring students can continue to access books that inspire creativity, wonder and a lifelong love of reading. 

Find out more about the Educational Lending Rights Scheme. 

Looking for Alibrandi - Melina Marchetta

Josie is navigating her final year of school while juggling family dynamics, cultural identity and the search for belonging. This book explores future aspirations, scholarships, identity and questioning one's place in the world. myfuture helps students reflect on their strengths, aspirations and the pathways available to them. 

Explore myfuture.