fabulous books about society & environment (s.o.s.e.)
Ages 2 - 6
Peggy is a really appealing book to read with someone who is mad for chickens, or worried about new experiences, maybe a homebody—they’ll relate to Peggy’s yearning for home, someone who is a bit too busy to notice the joy and fun in life, or deeply attached to a routine - or keen to try new things!
Madame Walker was born Sarah Breedlove, the youngest child in her family and the first person in her family to be born free. Her family were slaves in Louisiana until emancipation in 1865.
Sarah was born in 1867 and lived an extraordinary life.
During her at once difficult and blessed life, Sarah married twice, had a daughter, and built a cosmetics empire.
Food waste is becoming a global concern. Economists, environmentalists and human rights advocates are all on the same page: we have to stop wasting, start sharing, and get fresh food to people who need it. They’re the sort of goals everyone can get behind.
Ages 3 - Grown Ups
Three-year-old Ivy is excitedly awaiting the arrival of a baby brother in a couple of months. She’s looking for things that will be the same and different for them.
He’ll be little and she’ll be big. But, after a bath: ‘he’ll have a naked bottom just like me’. Both true.
Ivy is pretty keen for this baby to arrive. (So am I, truth be told.) Still, there’s bound to be some adjusting to do.
The New Small Person is all about the adjustment – and the process.
Ages 2 to 8
ages 5 to 10 years
When you’re young, history is learned in snatches—a story here, an idea there—all designed to offer a sense of one's own place in the history that is being made today. Trouble is, the snatches approach can sometimes inadvertently lead to whitewashed or selective understanding.
If you’re looking to share snatches of Australian history that are respectful, balanced, and full of interest, M is for Mutiny is perfect.
ages 4 to 12 years (and older!)
Fake news is such a fraught and difficult topic! No matter which side of politics (or life in general) we align with, fake news can lead us astray.
It’s an issue for kids too, making skills like critical reading, viewing and listening increasingly important. But no one wants to overburden them or take the joy out of learning—and this book is a terrific help. It teaches critical thinking and watching skills and it’s heaps of fun for kids and adults to work on together.
ages 4 to adult
Having an enemy doesn’t always require a war, but always (always!) requires separate camps! Those camps could be foxholes, but they could also be duct tape lines across a shared bedroom floor, places to sit during lunch at school, or even a divided family.
In this book, 'There’s a war on.', and two soldiers are facing each other from holes in the ground. Just one soldier speaks to us, but we see both
ages 6 to grownup
It seems almost dystopian that there was a time when Aboriginal people were not counted in the population statistics. And when the laws and powers that were held by each State government resulted in segregation and broad discrimination...
ages 0 to 8 years
"I'd say that's udderly fantastic!" - Ruby, agronomist
We’re all fans of the George the Farmer series. Knowing where food comes from and how it’s produced is empowering. Kids and adults alike need to know the process, and ideally we’d all know how to produce a little food ourselves too .... George’s stories are information rich and this time we learn about Ruby .... She’s an agronomist and is called on to help Alex who runs a robotic dairy.
ages 4 to 12 years
An asylum seeker is someone who is seeking protection as a refugee but hasn’t yet been granted recognised refugee status. So in this story, Ziba and her mother—who have left their own country after war and oppression came to their village—are both asylum seekers and refugees. They're traveling by boat to a new country where they hope to find ‘azadi’—freedom
ages 8 years and up
The reality of life in a refugee camp is no longer hidden—it permeates news cycles and images— and writings are readily available and plentiful. It's generally understood that a refugee's life is one of fear, heightened emotions, constant change. Still, the individual humanity of the refugees themselves remains hidden....
ages 6 years to adult
Have you seen this website? It’s a collection of personal testimonies from people of the Stolen Generation. They're so very personal and real that I feel like a welcome, if naïve, guest. Each testimony includes a short personal statement
ages 2 years to adult (a beautiful gift or coffee table book)
What does your home have lots of? Cars, cheese, Atlantic puffins? Lots beautifully illustrates cities and regions around the world, showing what they have lots of.
This is a terrific collection of women who had an impact in the public sphere. Some will certainly be familiar, and some may be new to you and yours. It's an exuberant look at thirteen women who changed your life—and you might not even know it!
ages 4 to 12 years (and up!)
Set in Canada, Waiting for the Whales makes a really nice stepping stone to family storytelling. It’s about a grandfather living a simple life of gardening and watching the seasons. It's a picture book to prompt one's own family stories – leading easily to thoughts, memories and 'after' conversations.
ages 4 to 12 years
One book each (adult and child) to help us know and feel what it is to be a refugee: certain that there was no choice but to leave, yet living a life devoid of sureness. Both are beautiful to look at, both tell personal stories respectfully and without compromise.
The remarkable true story of a horse and his trainer show what it is to lead and care for others.
ages 2 to 10 years
8 brilliant stories about real-life men who have impacted the world for good - in art, science, maths, literature and more.
for all ages
Set in USA. Even though she couldn't vote, Victoria Woodhull ran for President of the United States in 1872. She was a remarkable woman with a difficult life who had a passion for equality and she gave her all to the cause.
ages 8 years and up
ages 6 to 12 years
An inspiring story about perseverance and appreciating the natural world. A boy and his uncle embark on an amazing hike through the magnificent Grampian mountain ranges. Not everything goes to plan, but there's physical and metaphorical beauty each step of the way.
8 great chicken books - about some wonderfully entertaining egg-layers and the power that chickens have to reduce poverty and increase social and economic security - for all ages
Set in Australia. A sweet wombat revels in the beauty of an Australian high-country winter, complete with snow on gum trees. A celebration of an Australian winter and the joy of finding your way home.
ages newborn to 8 years
all ages
In case you missed them - or perhaps to remind you of something you loved - here's a small revisit to our 'community' category
A wonderful coffee table book; captivating art and words with meaning for adults at least as much as for children. 20 illustrators bring their very best work and perfectly compliment 20 inspiring quotes.
ages early childhood and upwards
Set in Paris, France. A wonderful, inspirational book that speaks of the little-known history of Muslim heroes in Paris during World War II and their rescues of Jews, Resistance fighters, Allied pilots, and prisoners of war.
ages 10 to grown-up
The grand adventures of a tiny Sea Snail and a ‘gray-blue humpback whale’. The little Sea Snail has lived her entire life on a rock in the dock, but she's not like the other snails – she has an itchy foot! A brilliant book full of great themes.
ages newborn to 6 years
ages 4 years to grownup
Set in Mozambique, this beautifully told and illustrated story is inspiring and full of wonder in itself, but becomes even more so when the true story is told alongside it. It shows the courage and strength of a young mother in crazy circumstances.
ages 4 to 8 years
Set in Egypt, this is an ever so slightly suspenseful book to read aloud and it's then so very peaceful in its resolution. Ahmed has a secret—and it’s a good one! I love this book and can hardly count the number of times I've given it as a gift.
Set in Australia, one family and a caravan take it on the road! Delightfully insightful look at family relations and the gorgeousness and diversity of Australia - through the eyes of a child.
ages 4 to 12 years
One Tree is a beautifully moving story full of the hope of change and the joy of growing things. It’s a wonderfully comforting story that values the past and embraces the future, making it a perfect read it before you need it book and an aid for children who are struggling with change.