a heart tugging look at how it feels to be different and a call to be more accomodating

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a heart tugging look at how it feels to be different and a call to be more accomodating

ages 6 years to grownup
Everyone knows what it is to feel different or misunderstood. It's part of modern life—we meet many people in many circumstances and we don’t always ‘click’. And that’s fine, mostly we just do what needs to be done and move on until we come to a place we really do fit. But, for some people, being different or misunderstood is a constant. Ivan is such a child and he tells us that he is, in fact, a crocodile:

“I look like a boy but, inside, I am a crocodile. It’s not something you can see, of course, because it’s inside.

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the life-changing value of speaking up—for yourself or for someone else

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the life-changing value of speaking up—for yourself or for someone else

ages 2 to 8 years
When I read this book to four-year-old Ivy, she sat in silence, then, at the last page, said, “Let’s read that again.”

Twig is that sort of book—beautiful to look at, with a story that's relatable and full of interesting ideas to process. 

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5 books that comfort and prepare for a move away from much-loved people and places

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5 books that comfort and prepare for a move away from much-loved people and places

ages 3 to around 8 years
Change in any form can be hard (not just for children!) but moving to somewhere new and leaving people you love can be particularly difficult for little ones. Our move to Tasmania is happening next week...

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how empathy changes the way a young girl thinks about a kitten

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how empathy changes the way a young girl thinks about a kitten

ages 2 to 8 years
In the story of The Lost Kitten, a little girl, Hina, and her mother are met by a mother cat who seems to ask them to care for her sickly kitten. Hina is hesitant, she was hoping for ‘a cute one from the pet shop’....

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a lovely book for kids going through 'hard to find friends' times

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a lovely book for kids going through 'hard to find friends' times

ages 2 to 8 years
Do your little ones have imaginary friends? Some of mine did. It was cute to hear them chatting away to someone invisible—less cute when I once had to wait in the rain because an imaginary friend called Minga had to get in the car first and then took her own sweet time about buckling up her seatbelt! There are lots of good reasons to enjoy the imaginary friend stage, one being...

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how one boy begins to approach the meaning of life—on a camping trip

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how one boy begins to approach the meaning of life—on a camping trip

ages 8 to 14 years
Beloved by parents, in part due to the cloistered risks the trip offers to children, camping is the stuff of dreams for many children too. Except when it’s not. For Henry Hoobler, who will go into year 3 at school when his family camping trip ends, there's some mild anxiety going on...

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a graphic portrayal of what it is to feel alone, and what it is to heal

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a graphic portrayal of what it is to feel alone, and what it is to heal

A poignant look at living with the demons of anxiety and profound unhappiness. Small things lead to the demons that beset a young man, and small things lead to overcoming them. A lovely meditation on the impact small things can have.
ages 10 years to adult

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