Booklist: Chronological History For 8-12 Year Olds – Seven Little Australians & Counting

This booklist is aimed at children 8-12 years old. We have recommended a mix of easier chapter books and more challenging ones.

Most books will be available at your local library or via inter-library loan. 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 3-6 weeks to read each time period, a year and a half at least.

You can always take a break enjoy other areas of learning and then come back and pick up where you left off from.

Enjoy at least one to three chapter books per time period, when available.

We have displayed the books 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. We want you to work within your local library and inter-library loans, we don’t want you to go into debt.

Further suggestions are on 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 8-12 year olds pdf

Key

#=Graphic Novel

~ = Indigenous

Name	Writers	Illustrators	Tags	Series	Target Age	Print Status	Curriculums
A Different Boy	Jennings, Paul		Stowaway	Different	10-14 Years	In Print
A Different Land	Jennings, Paul			Different	10-14 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
An Anzac Tale	Starke, Ruth		Gallipoli, World War One		8-12 Years	In Print
Anzac Boys	Bradman, Tony		Gallipoli, World War One		9-13 Years	In 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
Azaria: A True History	Coote, Maree	Coote, Maree	Azaria Chamberlain, Legal System, Uluru		9-15 Years	In 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
Battle Boy: White War	Carter, Charlie		War France, Western Front, World War One	Battle Boy	7-10 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
Bold Ben Hall	Wedd, Monty	Wedd, Monty	Ben Hall		10-18 Years	In Print
Bridget: A New Australian	Moloney, James		1840-1850, Moreton Bay, Potato Famine Ireland	A New Australian	8-12 Years	In Print
Caesar the War Dog	Dando-Collins, Stephen		Afghanistan War	The War Dog	10-14 Years	In Print
Captain Cook and the Endeavour	Lefroy, Mike		1760-1770, Captain James Cook		8-12 Years	In Print
Contagion	Greenwood, Kerry		1910-1920, Melbourne, Spanish Flu	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
Cook's Cook	Bishop, Gavin	Bishop, Gavin	Captain James Cook		5-12 Years	In Print
Dancing with Ben Hall	French, Jackie		1860-1870, Ben Hall		10-14 Years	In Print
Dingo: the Dog who Conquered a Continent	French, Jackie		Dingo, pre-1788	Animal Stars	9-13 Years	In Print
First Voyage	Baillie, Allan		pre-1788		9-13 Years	In Print
Flora’s War	Rushby, Pamela		War Middle East, War Nursing, World War One		11-15 Years	In Print
Frieda	Musgrove, Marianne		1910-1920, Adelaide, War Homefront, World War One	A New Australian	8-12 Years	In Print
Ghost Boy	Pulman, Felicity		1880-1890, Quarantine Station Manly, Smallpox, Sydney		10-14 Years	In Print
Goodbye, Mr Hitler	French, Jackie		Concentration Camp, War Germany, World War Two	Hitler	11-15 Years	In Print
History Mysteries: Diamond Jack	Greenwood, Mark		Kimberley, War Homefront, World War Two	History Mysteries	8-12 Years	In Print
History Mysteries: Lasseter's Gold	Greenwood, Mark		Central Australia, Gold, Lasseter's Reef, MacDonnell Ranges	History Mysteries	8-12 Years	In Print
History Mysteries: The Last Tiger	Greenwood, Mark		Extinct Animals, Mammals, Marsupial Mammals, Tasmanian Tiger, Thylacine	History Mysteries	8-12 Years	In Print
History Mysteries: The Lost Explorer	Greenwood, Mark		1840-1850, Ludwig Leichhardt	History Mysteries	8-12 Years	In Print
History of Australia	Clark, Manning, Ferrier, Susanne, Hooper, Meredith				10-14 Years	Out Of Print	AO Aust JD, AO Aust PD, AO4 Aust JD, AO4 Aust PD, AO5 Aust JD, AO5 Aust PD, AO6 Aust JD
Hitler’s Daughter	French, Jackie		War Germany, World War Two		11-15 Years	In Print
Home to Mother	Garimara, Doris Pilkington	Lyndon, Janice	Great Sandy Desert, Jigalong, Martu People, Mogumber, Molly Craig, Moore River, Rabbit Proof Fence, Stolen Generation		9-13 Years	In Print
How the Finnegans Saved the Ship	French, Jackie		1910-1920, Ship Voyage		8-12 Years	In Print
In The Lamplight	Wolfer, Dianne		Australian Light Horse Brigade, War Middle East, War Nursing, War Returned Soldiers, World War One		10-14 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
Kerenza: A New Australian	Hawke, Rosanne		Mallee	A New Australian	8-12 Years	In 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
Light Horse Boy	Wolfer, Dianne		Albany, Australian Light Horse Brigade, War Middle East, World War One		10-14 Years	In Print
Lighthouse Girl	Wolfer, Dianne		Albany, War Homefront, World War One		10-14 Years	In Print
Little Lion: A Long Way Home	Brierley, Saroo	Whatley, Bruce	Adoption, Hobart		6-12 Years	In Print
Lost!: A True Tale from the Bush	Reeder, Stephanie Owen		Bush Lost, Wimmera	Heritage Heroes	6-18 Years	In Print
Lucy's Dawn	Blair, Juliet		1880-1890, Louisa Lawson, Printing, Suffragettes, Sydney, Women's Rights		10-14 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
Meet Grace	Laguna, Sofie		1800-1810, Sydney	Our Australian Girl	8-12 Years	In Print
My Australian Story : Vietnam	Challinor, Deborah		Newcastle, Vietnam War	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Banner Bold	Wheatley, Nadia		1850-1860, Ballarat Goldfields, Eureka	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Black Sunday	McHugh, Evan		1930-1940, Black Sunday, Bondi, Surf Life Saving, Sydney	My Australian Story	10-18 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Bridging Sydney	Farrer, Vashti		1930-1940, Sydney, Sydney Harbour Bridge	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Bushfire	Murphy, Sally		2000-2010, Black Saturday, Bushfire, Marysville	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Castle Hill Rebellion	Michaels, Chrissie		1800-1810, Castle Hill, Convict Uprising, Sydney	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Don Bradman And Me	Allen, Peter		1930-1940, Cricket, Sydney	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Gallipoli	Tucker, Alan		Gallipoli, World War One	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Heroes of Tobruk	Mulligan, David		Siege of Tobruk, War Middle East, World War Two	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Kokoda	Tucker, Alan		Kokoda Trail, Townsville, War Papua New Guinea, World War Two	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Our Race for Reconciliation	Heiss, Anita		Kathy Freeman, Olympics, Reconciliation, Sydney	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Outback	Harris, Christine		1920-1930, Flinders Ranges	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Snowy	McHugh, Siobhan		1950-1960, Kosciuszko, Snowy Mountain Scheme, Snowy Mountains	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: The Bombing of Darwin	Tucker, Alan		War Darwin, War Homefront, World War Two	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
My Australian Story: Who Am I?	Heiss, Anita		Bomaderry, Stolen Generation, Sydney	My Australian Story	10-14 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
Ned Kelly	Wedd, Monty	Wedd, Monty	Ned Kelly		10-18 Years	In Print
Onion Tears	Kidd, Diana				8-12 Years	In Print
Operation Black Shark: Caesar the War Dog 5	Dando-Collins, Stephen		Afghanistan War	The War Dog	10-14 Years	eBook, In Print
Operation Blue Dragon: Caesar the War Dog 2	Dando-Collins, Stephen		Afghanistan War	The War Dog	10-14 Years	In Print
Operation Green Parrot: Caesar the War Dog 4	Dando-Collins, Stephen		Afghanistan War	The War Dog	10-14 Years	In Print
Operation Pink Elephant: Caesar the War Dog 3	Dando-Collins, Stephen		Afghanistan War	The War Dog	10-14 Years	In Print
Our Australian Girl: Meet Alice	Bell, Davina		Perth, War Homefront, World War One	Our Australian Girl	8-12 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
Pennies for Hitler	French, Jackie		War Germany, World War Two	Hitler	11-15 Years	In Print
Pirate Boy of Sydney Town	French, Jackie		1800-1810, Shipping		11-15 Years	In Print
Prison Ship	Dowswell, Paul			The Adventures of Sam Witchall	10-14 Years	eBook
Rebellion at Eureka	Tucker, Alan		1850-1860, Ballarat Goldfields, Eureka	My Australian Story	10-14 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
Sian: A New Australian	Luckett, Dave		1910-1920, Darwin	A New Australian	8-12 Years	In Print
Simpson’s Donkey	Stanley, Peter		Gallipoli, War Animals, World War One		10-14 Years	In Print
Sister Heart	Morgan, Sally		Moore River, Stolen Generation, Verse Novel		11-15 Years	In Print
Soldier Boy	Hill, Anthony		Gallipoli, Jim Martin, World War One		10-14 Years	In Print
Songbird	Laguna, Ingrid		Melbourne		8-12 Years	In Print
Soraya the Storyteller	Hawke, Rosanne				10-14 Years	In Print
Stowaway	Hesse, Karen		1760-1770, Captain James Cook		10-14 Years	In Print	AO Aust JD, AO4 Aust JD
Stowaway to Botany Bay	Edwards, Christine		1780-1790, French Exploration, Laperouse	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
Sunflower	Laguna, Ingrid		Melbourne		9-13 Years	In Print
Sweet Adversity	Gwyther, Sheryl		Family, Shakespeare		10-14 Years	In Print
Taj and the Great Camel Trek	Hawke, Rosanne		1870-1880, Camels		9-13 Years	In Print
Ten Pound Pom	Wilkinson, Carole	Anelli, Liz	1950-1960, 1960-1970	Our Stories	7-13 Years	In Print
Teresa: A New Australian	Abela, Deborah		Sydney, War Malta	A New Australian	8-12 Years	In Print
That Boy, Jack	Brian, Janeen		1870-1880, Copper Mines, Moonta		9-13 Years	In Print
The Blue Cat	Dubosarsky, Ursula		Jewish, Sydney, War Homefront, World War Two		10-14 Years	In Print
The Camel Who Crossed Australia	French, Jackie		1860-1870, Burke & Wills	Animal Stars	7-13 Years	In Print
The Cat and the Captain	Taylor. Ruth	Parkins, David	Matthew Flinders		8-12 Years	In Print
The Dog with Seven Names	Wolfer, Dianne		Pilbara, War Animals, War Homefront, World War Two		10-14 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 Fighting Stingrays	Mitchell, Simon		Friendship, Thursday Island, War Homefront, World War Two		9-13 Years	In Print
The Forgotten Pearl	Murrell, Belinda		Darwin, Sydney, War Darwin, World War Two	Timeslip	10-14 Years	In Print
The Ghost of Howlers Beach	French, Jackie		Sydney	The Butter O'Bryan Mysteries	10-14 Years	In Print
The Goat Who Sailed The World	French, Jackie		1760-1770, Captain James Cook	Animal Stars	8-12 Years	In Print
The Good, the Bad and the Silly	Dickson, John	Emmerichs, Bern			10-14 Years	In Print
The Horse Who Bit A Bushranger	French, Jackie			Animal Stars	7-13 Years	In Print
The Horses Didn’t Come Home	Rushby, Pamela		Australian Light Horse Brigade, War Animals, War Middle East, World War One		11-15 Years	In Print
The Hunt for Ned Kelly	Masson, Sophie		1870-1880, Ned Kelly	My Australian Story	10-14 Years	In Print
The Journey of Tom Thumb ll	Hill, Christine	Hill, Christine	George Bass, Lake Illawarra, Matthew Flinders, South Coast		12-17 Years	In Print
The Locket of Dreams	Murrell, Belinda		1850-1860, Dampier Peninsula, Time Slip	Timeslip	10-14 Years	In Print
The Lost Sapphire	Murrell, Belinda		1920-1930, Melbourne, Melbourne Slums, Russian Emigre	Timeslip	10-14 Years	In Print
The Night They Stormed Eureka	French, Jackie		1850-1860, Ballarat Goldfields, Eureka		10-18 Years	In Print
The Ratcatcher's Daughter	Rushby, Pamela		Black Death, Brisbane, Rat Catching		10-18 Years	In Print
The River Charm	Murrell, Belinda		1830-1840, Peel Region	Timeslip	10-14 Years	In Print
The River Kings	Fatchen, Max		Murray River, Riverboats		9-13 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 Sequin Star	Murrell, Belinda		1930-1940, Circus, Sydney, Time Slip	Timeslip	10-14 Years	eBook, In Print
The Story of Captain Cook	Lang, John	Robinson, W Heath	1760-1770, Captain James Cook	The Children's Heroes Series	8-14 Years	eBook, 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 Moon and Back	French, Jackie, Sullivan, Bryan		Honeysuckle Creek, Moon Landing, Space Technology		10-14 Years	In Print
Tom Appleby Convict Boy	French, Jackie		1780-1790, Child Convict, First Fleet, Sydney		10-14 Years	In Print
Took the Children Away	Roach, Archie	Hunter, Ruby	Framlingham Aboriginal Mission, Stolen Generation		8-14 Years	In Print
Trim: the Story of A Brave Seafaring Cat	Flinders, Matthew		Matthew Flinders		11-15 Years	In Print	AO Aust JD, AO Aust PD, AO2 Aust PD, AO4 Aust JD, MA1B Aust
Walking the Boundaries	French, Jackie		Araluen Valley, Time Slip, Walbanga People		10-14 Years	In Print
War's End	Bowen, Victoria		Perth, Spanish Flu, War Homefront, World War One		9-13 Years	In Print
When the Lyrebird Calls	Kane, Kim		1900-1910, Emancipation, Federation, Time Slip		11-15 Years	In 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
William Bligh: A Stormy Story of Tempestuous Times	Sedunary, Michael	Emmerichs, Bern	1800-1810, Governor William Bligh, Sydney		8-12 Years	In Print
Yong : The Journey Of An Unworthy Son	Brian, Janeen		1850-1860, Ballarat Goldfields		10-14 Years	eBook, 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.

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

History of Australia – Manning Clark, Meredith Hooper

Australia from the Beginning – Eve Pownall

Time Span

My Place – Nadia Wheatley

~ Walking the Boundaries – Jackie French

pre-European Settlement

Dingo: the Dog who Conquered a Continent – Jackie French

First Voyage- Alan Baillie

European Discovery of Australia