Booklist: Chronological History For 6-8 Year Olds – Seven Little Australians & Counting

Australian History Booklist

This booklist is aimed at children 6-8 years old. We have recommended a mix of engaging picture and easier chapter books.

Most books will be available at your local libraries or via inter-library loans. The John trilogy b y Doris Chadwick are purchasable from Living Book Press. We highly recommend these.

We have given you many options below in the hope that your library will have some of these. We are not recommending you read all of these books!

We estimate it will take 1-3 weeks to read each time period, a year in total.

We encourage you to read one chapter book, where available, and at least one picture book per time period.

Otherwise a selection of at least two to four picture books per time period, when available.

We have displayed the book suggestions in a visual grid below. This continues onto a second page.

Below the visual grid the books are organised under headings into time periods.

Our favourites are not highlighted deliberately. As we encourage you to borrow from your local library and inter-library loans, we don’t want you to go into debt.

Further suggestions are to be found in our Australian History database. These though are our top picks.

Create your own personalised list using our Wishlist feature. Click on the book of your choice, then click the wishlist button and the book is added to your personalised list.

Wattle Gum Education Booklist – Chronological History for 6-8 year olds pdf

Key

*= Chapter Books

#=Graphic Novel

~ = Indigenous

Name	Writers	Illustrators	Tags	Series	Target Age	Print Status	Curriculums
A Cat Called Trim	Fenton, Corinne	Smith, Craig	Matthew Flinders		4-8 Years	In Print
A Soldier, A Dog and A Boy	Hathorn, Libby	Lesnie, Phil	Battle of the Somme, War France, Western Front, World War One		4-8 Years	In Print
Alfred’s War	Bin Salleh, Rachel	Fry, Samantha	War France, War Indigenous, Western Front, World War One		5-12 Years	In Print
Amazing Grace : An Adventure at Sea	Reeder, Stephanie Owen		Grace Bussell, Margaret River, Redgate Beach, Sam Isaacs, Shipwreck. Steamship	Heritage Heroes	6-18 Years	In Print
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda	Bogle, Eric	Whatley, Bruce	Gallipoli, World War One		8-12 Years	In Print
Angel of Kokoda	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	Kokoda Trail, War Papua New Guinea, World War Two		8-12 Years	In Print
Anzac Biscuits	Cummings, Phil	Swan, Owen	War France, Western Front, World War One		4-8 Years	Out Of Print
Anzac Girl: The War Diaries of Alice Ross-King	Simpson, Kate		1910-1920, Major Alice Ross-King, War Nursing, War Women, World War One		6-14 Years	In Print
Australia From The Beginning	Pownall, Eve	Cunningham, Walter			7-13 Years	Out Of Print
Barney and the Secret of the French Spies	French, Jackie		1790-1800, Sydney	The Secret History Series	9-13 Years	In Print
Barney and the Secret of the Whales	French, Jackie		1790-1800, Sydney, Whales, Whaling	The Secret History Series	9-13 Years	In Print
Bass and Flinders	Dodson, Cathy	Harvey, Roland	George Bass, Matthew Flinders		5-10 Years	Out Of Print
Battle Boy: White War	Carter, Charlie		War France, Western Front, World War One	Battle Boy	7-10 Years	In Print
Bessie's War	Bell, Krista	Elliot, Belinda	War Homefront, World War One		6-12 Years	In Print
Beth: The Story of a Child Convict	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	1780-1790, Child Convict, Convicts, First Fleet, Sydney		5-12 Years	In Print
Birrung the Secret Friend	French, Jackie		1790-1800, Eora Nation, Gadigal People, Sydney	The Secret History Series	9-13 Years	In Print
Blackfella Whitefella	Murray, Neil		Music, Papunya, Song		9-13 Years	Out Of Print
Bob the Railway Dog	Fenton, Corinne	McLean, Andrew	Dogs, South Australian Railways, Trains		5-10 Years	In Print
Boomerang and Bat	Greenwood, Mark	Denton, Terry	1860-1870, Cricket, Johnny Mullagh, Sports Indigenous		5-12 Years	In Print
Born To Fly	McWilliams, Beverley	Ide, Timothy	1890-1900, Aviators, Harry Butler		5-10 Years	In Print
Cook's Cook	Bishop, Gavin	Bishop, Gavin	Captain James Cook		5-12 Years	In Print
Cyclone	French, Jackie	Whatley, Bruce	1970-1980, Cyclone Tracy, Cyclones, Darwin	Natural Disaster	4-8 Years	In Print
Day Break	McQuire, Amy	Chun, Matt	Australia Day, Stolen Generation		5-12 Years	In Print
Digger:The Dog Who Went to War	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	Dogs, War France, Western Front, World War One		5-12 Years	In Print
Dingo: the Dog who Conquered a Continent	French, Jackie		Dingo, pre-1788	Animal Stars	9-13 Years	In Print
Dreaming Soldiers	Bauer, Catherine	McGrath, Shane	War Indigenous, Western Front, World War One		5-12 Years	In Print
Eureka! : A story of the goldfields	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	1850-1860, Ballarat Goldfields, Eureka		5-12 Years	In Print
Fair Dinkum War	Cox, David	Cox, David	World War Two		7-13 Years	In Print
Flapper, VC	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	Carrier Pigeons, War Animals, World War Two		6-12 Years	In Print
Free Diving	Coffin, Lorrae	Houston, Bronwyn	Broome, Pearling		6-10 Years	In Print
Gallipoli	Greenwood, Kerry	White, Annie	Gallipoli, World War One		6-12 Years	Out Of Print
Good Enough for a Sheep Station	Cox, David	Cox, David	Sheep Station		5-10 Years	In Print
Grandma's Treasured Shoes	Vass, Coral	Huynh, Christina	Grandmothers, Grandparents, Sydney		4-8 Years	In Print
Home of the Kadimakara People	Trezise, Percy	Trezise, Percy	pre-1788	Journey of the Great Lake	5-12 Years	In Print
Horace the Baker's Horse	French, Jackie	Bray, Peter	1910-1920, Spanish Flu		4-8 Years	In Print
How the Finnegans Saved the Ship	French, Jackie		1910-1920, Ship Voyage		8-12 Years	In Print
I Was Only Nineteen	Schumann, John	Smith, Craig	Townsville, Vietnam War		8-12 Years	In Print
Idjhil	Bell, Helen	Bell, Helen	1940-1950, Noongar People, Stolen Generation		7-13 Years	Out Of Print
Jack's Bugle	Bell, Krista	Elliot, Belinda	Alice Springs, Gallipoli, World War One		5-12 Years	In Print
Jandamarra	Greenwood, Mark	Denton, Terry	1880-1890, 1890-1900, Bungle Bungles, Bunuba Resistance, Indigenous Warriors, Jandamarra, Kimberley		5-12 Years	In Print
John of Nanbaree	Chadwick, Doris		1780-1790, Nanbaree, Sydney		5-14 Years	Out Of Print	MA1B Aust
John of Sydney Cove	Chadwick, Doris		1780-1790, Sydney		5-14 Years	In Print	AO Aust JD, AO Aust PD, AO4 Aust JD, AO5 Aust PD, MA1B Aust
John of the Sirius	Chadwick, Doris		1780-1790, First Fleet, Sydney		5-14 Years	In Print	AO Aust JD, AO Aust PD, AO4 Aust JD, AO4 Aust PD, MA1B Aust
King of the Outback: The Story of Sidney Kidman	Weidenbach, Kristin	Ide, Timothy	Sir Sidney Kidman		5-10 Years	In Print
Land of the Brolga People	Trezise, Percy	Trezise, Percy	pre-1788	Journey of the Great Lake	5-12 Years	In Print
Land of the Dingo People	Trezise, Percy	Trezise, Percy	pre-1788	Journey of the Great Lake	5-12 Years	In Print
Land of the Echidna People	Trezise, Percy	Lavis, Mary	pre-1788	Journey of the Great Lake	4-12 Years	In Print
Land of the Emu People	Trezise, Percy	Trezise, Percy	pre-1788	Journey of the Great Lake	5-12 Years	In Print
Land of the Kangaroo People	Trezise, Percy	Trezise, Percy	pre-1788	Journey of the Great Lake	5-12 Years	In Print
Land of the Magpie Goose People	Trezise, Percy	Trezise, Percy	pre-1788	Journey of the Great Lake	5-12 Years	In Print
Land of the Snake People	Trezise, Percy	Trezise, Percy	pre-1788	Journey of the Great Lake	5-12 Years	Out Of Print
Lennie the Legend : Solo to Sydney by Pony	Reeder, Stephanie Owen		Gippsland, Lennie Gwyther, Leongatha, Sydney, Sydney Harbour Bridge	Heritage Heroes	7-13 Years	In Print
Little Lon	Kelly, Andrew	Jackson, Mark, Potter, Heather	1920-1930, Melbourne, Working Class Districts		4-12 Years	In Print
Lone Pine	Warner, Margaret	Ciaffaglione, Sebastian	Inverell, Remembrance Day, War Homefront		6-12 Years	Out Of Print
Lost!: A True Tale from the Bush	Reeder, Stephanie Owen		Bush Lost, Wimmera	Heritage Heroes	6-18 Years	In Print
M is for Mutiny!: History by Alphabet	Dickson, John	Emmerichs, Bern	Sydney		8-12 Years	In Print
Marvellous Miss May : Queen of the Circus	Reeder, Stephanie Owen		1900-1910, Circus	Heritage Heroes	6-18 Years	In Print
Matthew Flinders: Adventures on Leaky Ships	Wilkinson, Carole	Pittock, Prue	Matthew Flinders		5-12 Years	In Print
Meet Grace	Laguna, Sofie		1800-1810, Sydney	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
Meet... Banjo Paterson	Weidenbach, Kristin	Hancock	Banjo Patterson, Poet	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... Captain Cook	Murdie, Rae	Nixon, Chris	1760-1770, Captain James Cook	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... Don Bradman	Vass, Coral	Howe. Brad	Bowral, Cricket, Don Bradman	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... Douglas Mawson	Dumbleton, Mike	Green, Snip	1920-1930, Antarctica, Douglas Mawson	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... Mary MacKillop	Murphy, Sally	Martinez, Sonia	1860-1870, 1870-1880, 1890-1890, 1900-1910, Australian Saint, Catholic, Mary MacKillop, Saint	Meet...	5-8 Years	In Print
Meet... Nancy Bird Walton	Atwood, Grace	Slaghekke, Harry	Aviators, Nancy Bird Walton	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... Ned Kelly	Brian, Janeen	Adams. Matt	1870-1880, Ned Kelly	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... Nellie Melba	Brian, Janeen	Murphy, Claire	Dame Nellie Melba, Melbourne, Opera Singer	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... Sidney Nolan	Mes, Yvonne	Eterovic, Sandra	Australian Artist, Melbourne, Sidney Nolan	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... the Anzacs	Saxby, Claire	Berry, Max		Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... the Flying Doctors	Ivanoff, George	Wood Ben	John Flynn, Royal Flying Doctors	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Meet... Weary Dunlop	Saxby, Claire	Lord, Jeremy	Benalla, Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, Wangaratta, World War Two	Meet...	5-10 Years	In Print
Message in a Sock	Baillie, Kaye	Joy, Narelda	Lance Corporal A. McDougall, Sydney, War France, War Homefront, World War One		4-8 Years	In Print
Midnight	Greenwood, Mark	Lessac, Frane	Australian Light Horse Brigade, Battle of Beersheba, Hunter Valley, Lieutenant Guy Haydon, War Animals, War Middle East, World War One		5-12 Years	In Print
Mustara	Hawke, Rosanne	Ingpen, Robert	1870-1880, Ernest Giles, Flinders Ranges		4-8 Years	In Print
My Mother’s Eyes	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	Battle of Bullecourt, War France, War Western Front, World War One		8-12 Years	In Print
My Name is Lizzie Flynn : A Story of the Rajah Quilt	Saxby, Claire	Newcomb, Lizzy	1850-1860, Convict Women, Convicts, Elizabeth Fry, Quilt Making, Rajah Convict Ship		7-13 Years	In Print
My Place	Wheatley, Nadia	Rawlins, Donna	Sydney		7-13 Years	In Print	MA1B Aust
Nanberry: Black Brother White	French, Jackie		Eora Nation, Gadigal People, Nanbaree, Surgeon John White		11-15 Years	In Print
Nancy Bentley : The First Australian Female Sailor	Hawkins	Grantford	Navy, Navy Women		5-10 Years	Out Of Print
Ned Kelly and the Green Sash	Greenwood, Mark	Lessac, Frane	1870-1880, Ned Kelly		6-10 Years	In Print
Our Australian Girl: Meet Alice	Bell, Davina		1910-1920, Perth	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
Our Australian Girl: Meet Daisy	Hamer, Michelle		1930-1940, Melbourne	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
Our Australian Girl: Meet Letty	Lloyd , Alison		1840-1850	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
Our Australian Girl: Meet Nellie	Matthews, Penny		1840-1850, Potato Famine Ireland	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
Our Australian Girl: Meet Pearlie	Wang, Gabrielle		Darwin, War Darwin, War Homefront, World War Two	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
Our Australian Girl: Meet Poppy	Wang, Gabrielle		1860-1870, Aboriginal Mission, Chinese-Aboriginal, Echuca, Stolen Generation	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print	AO Aust PD, AO4 Aust PD
Our Australian Girl: Meet Rose	Clark, Sherryl		1900-1910, Federation, Melbourne	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
Our Australian Girl: Meet Ruby	Matthews, Penny		1930-1940, Adelaide	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
Our Sunburnt Country	Baillie, Arthur				6-12 Years	In Print	AO Aust JD, AO Aust PD, AO4 Aust JD, AO4 Aust PD, AO5 Aust PD, MA2:2 Aust
Out	George, Angela May	Swan, Owen	Boat People		4-8 Years	In Print
Photographs In The Mud	Wolfer, Dianne	Harrison-Lever, Brian	Kokoda Trail, War Papua New Guinea, World War Two		7-13 Years	In Print
Queenie: One Elephant's Story	Fenton, Corinne	Gouldthorpe, Peter	Elephants, Melbourne, Melbourne Zoo, Zoos		5-12 Years	In Print
Radio Rescue!	Jolly, Jane	Ingpen, Robert	Pedal Radio, Royal Flying Doctors, School of the Air		5-10 Years	Out Of Print	AO Aust JD, AO1 Aust JD
Rodeo Darcy	Giles, Alison	Wilson, Mark	Cattle Station, Horses, Kimberley, Rodeo Circuit, Station Life		7-11 Years	In Print
Say Yes : A Story of Friendship, Fairness and a Vote for Hope	Castle, Jennifer	Seden, Paul	Referendum, Voting Aboriginal People		7-13 Years	In Print
Scratcher’s War	Mather, Jill		Australian Light Horse Brigade, Gallipoli, War Animals, War Western Front, World War One		5-12 Years	In Print
Simpson and Duffy	Small, Mary	Kasepuu, Ester	Gallipoli, John Simpson Kirkpatrick, War Animals, World War One		7-13 Years	In Print
Simpson and His Donkey	Greenwood, Mark	Lessac, Frane	Gallipoli, John Simpson Kirkpatrick, War Animals, World War One		5-12 Years	In Print
Sorry Day	Vass, Coral	Leffler, Dub	Stolen Generation		7-13 Years	Out Of Print
Sorry Sorry	Kerr, Anne	Pitt, Mardi	Stolen Generation		5-10 Years	In Print
Stolen Girl	Saffioti, Trina	MacDonald, Norma	Stolen Generation		6-12 Years	In Print
Tea and Sugar Christmas	Jolly, Jane	Ingpen, Robert	Kalgoorlie, Nullarbor, Port Augusta, Trains		5-12 Years	In Print
The Afghanistan Pup	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	Afghanistan War, War Middle East		5-12 Years	In Print
The Anzac Billy	Saxby, Claire	Jackson, Mark, Potter, Heather	War Care Packages, War Homefront, World War One		5-10 Years	In Print
The Anzac Tree	Booth, Christina	Booth, Christina	War Homefront, World War One		5-10 Years	Out Of Print
The Australia Book	Pownall, Eve	Senior, Margaret			4-8 Years	Out Of Print	MA1B Aust
The Camel Who Crossed Australia	French, Jackie		1860-1870, Burke & Wills	Animal Stars	7-13 Years	In Print
The Crossing of the Blue Mountains	Boardman, Alan	Harvey, Roland	1810-1820, Blue Mountains, Governor Lachlan Macquarie, Gregory Blaxland, William Charles Wentworth		5-10 Years	Out Of Print
The Day We Built the Bridge	Tidy, Samantha	Burrows, Fiona	Sydney, Sydney Harbour Bridge		5-10 Years	In Print
The Dog on the Tuckerbox	Fenton, Corinne	Gouldthorpe, Peter	Bullockies, Dogs, Gundagai, Loyalty		4-8 Years	In Print
The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded	French, Jackie		Gallipoli, John Simpson Kirkpatrick, War Animals, World War One	Animal Stars	9-13 Years	In Print
The First Fleet	Boardman, Alan	Harvey, Roland	1780-1790, Convicts, First Fleet, Sydney		5-10 Years	Out Of Print
The Friendly Games	Baillie, Kaye	Burrows, Fiona	1950-1960, Melbourne, Olympics		6-12 Years	In Print
The Goat Who Sailed The World	French, Jackie		1760-1770, Captain James Cook	Animal Stars	8-12 Years	In Print
The Great Bullocky Race	Page, Michael	Ingpen, Robert	Bullockies		5-10 Years	Out Of Print
The Happiness Box: A Wartime Book of Hope	Greenwood, Mark, McLean, Andrew	McLean, Andrew	Changi, Prisoner War Camp, Sergeant David Griffin, War POW, World War Two		5-12 Years	In Print
The Horse Soldier	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	Australian Light Horse Brigade, Battle of Beersheba, War Middle East, World War One		5-12 Years	In Print
The Horse Who Bit A Bushranger	French, Jackie			Animal Stars	7-13 Years	In Print
The House That Was Built in a Day: Anzac Cottage	Everett, Valerie	McGuire, Barbara	Perth, War Homefront, War Returned Soldiers, World War One		8-12 Years	Out Of Print
The Last Anzac	Winch, Gordon	Bailey, Harriet	Alec Campbell, Gallipoli, Launceston, World War One		5-10 Years	In Print
The Little Refugee	Do, Anh, Do, Suzanne	Whatley, Bruce	Boat People, Sydney		5-8 Years	In Print
The Little Stowaway: A True Story	Bennett, Vicki	Suwannakit, Tull	Dalby, Henri Tovell, Tim Tovell, War France, Western Front, World War One		4-8 Years	In Print
The Mostly True Story of Matthew and Trim	Golds, Cassandra	Axelsen, Stephen	Matthew Flinders		8-12 Years	Out Of Print
The Night We Made The Flag : A Eureka Story	Wilkinson, Carole	Ciaffaglione, Sebastian	1850-1860, Ballarat Goldfields, Eureka		6-12 Years	Out Of Print
The Rats of Tobruk	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	War Middle East, World War Two		5-12 Years	In Print
The Road to Goonong	Cox, David	Cox, David	Bush Life, Goonong		4-8 Years	In Print
The Secret of The Black Bushranger	French, Jackie		1790-1800, Convict Escapee, Convicts, Sydney	The Secret History Series	9-13 Years	In Print
The Secret of the Youngest Rebel	French, Jackie		1800-1810, Sydney	The Secret History Series	7-13 Years	In Print
The Unlikely Story of Bennelong and Phillip	Sedunary, Michael	Emmerichs, Bern	Bennelong, Eora Nation, Gadigal People, Governor Arthur Phillip		5-10 Years	In Print
To The Bridge : The Journey of Lennie and Ginger Mick	Fenton, Corinne	McLean, Andrew	Gippsland, Lennie Gwyther, Leongatha, Sydney, Sydney Harbour Bridge		6-12 Years	In Print
To the Goldfields!	Tonkin, Rachel	Tonkin, Rachel	Forest Creek, Mount Alexander		7-13 Years	Out Of Print
Tom the Outback Mailman	Weidenbach, Kristin	Ide, Timothy	Birdsville Track, Mailman, Marree, Simpson Desert, Sturt Stony Desert		5-10 Years	In Print
Vietnam Diary	Wilson, Mark	Wilson, Mark	Vietnam War		8-12 Years	In Print
What Was The War Like, Grandma?	Tonkin, Rachel	Tonkin, Rachel	Siege of Tobruk, War Homefront, World War Two		7-13 Years	In Print
What’s Your Story?	Giannone, Rose	Emmerichs, Bern	Eora Nation, Gadigal People, Orphans		5-10 Years	In Print
When I Was Little, Like You	Malbunka, Mary		Kukatja-Luritja People, MacDonnell Ranges, Papunya, Traditional Life		6-12 Years	In Print
White Mouse: The Story of Nancy Wake	Gouldthorpe, Peter	Gouldthorpe, Peter	French Resistance, Nancy Wake, Sydney, War France, World War Two		6-12 Years	Out Of Print
Will the Wonderkid: Treasure Hunter of the Australian Outback	Reeder, Stephanie Owen	Reeder, Stephanie Owen	1910-1920, Camels, Coober Pedy	Heritage Heroes	6-14 Years	In Print
You and Me Murrawee	Hashmi, Kerri	Marshall, Felicity	Coorong, Murray River, Ngarrindjeri People, Time Slip		5-10 Years	In Print
Ziba Came on a Boat	Lofthouse, Liz	Ingpen, Robert	Boat People		5-8 Years	In Print

Core & Overview Books

We recommend sourcing one of the following three as your Australian history overview. There are pros and cons to each book, our personal choices are the first two. For a 6-8 year old I’d choose Our Sunburnt Country.

*Our Sunburnt Country – Arthur Baillie (sold by My Homeschool)

*Australia from the Beginning – Eve Pownall

The Australia Book – Eve Pownall

My Place – Nadia Wheatley

~Sorry Sorry – Anne Maxine Kerr

~You and Me Murrawee – Kerri Hashimi

pre-European Settlement