Australian Reading Spine

Classic books and high-quality literature

to form the core of a read-aloud program
from Kindergarten/Preschool to Year 6

Dyslexia - SPELD Foundation

LITERACY & CLINICAL
SERVICES
About the Australian
Reading Spine
The Australian Reading Spine is a list of In addition to the core texts for the Australian
classic books and high-quality literature. The Reading Spine, a list of ‘Honourable Mentions’
Reading Spine is a Talk for Writing concept, is provided for each year level. The Honourable
and is intended to form the core of a primary Mentions include: books that appear on the
school read-aloud program, which can then original Reading Spine, but not on the Australian
be supplemented with additional reading adaptation; books that were short-listed for
materials. The Australian Reading Spine has the Australian Reading Spine; and books that
been developed by the DSF Talk for Writing may be interesting as further reading. These
training team, with input from Pie Corbett, Honourable Mentions are intended to provide
and is based on Pie Corbett’s original Talk for inspiration for teachers when selecting books
Writing Reading Spine, published by Scholastic to supplement the Australian Reading Spine.
in the UK.
It is expected that the books on the Australian
This document is organised by academic year Reading Spine will be read aloud to students by
level, from Kindergarten (Preschool) to Year 6. their teacher; however, students in older grades
Books are listed by author surname in alphabetic may also read these books independently, or as
order. The listed order of books for each year part of book study activities.
level is not intended to suggest the order in
which they should be read over the course of a
school year; instead, the order of reading should
be at the teacher’s discretion.
 Kindergarten (Preschool)
PICTURE BOOKS

Each Peach Pear Plum Dear Zoo

Allan and Janet Ahlberg Rod Campbell

Jasper’s Beanstalk
Nick Butterworth & Mick Inkpen

Hairy Maclary from Where is the

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle Donaldson’s Dairy Green Sheep?
Lynley Dodd Mem Fox

Magic Beach
Alison Lester

Big Rain Coming Where’s Spot?

Katrina Germein Eric Hill

2
Kindergarten (Preschool)
PICTURE BOOKS

Kindergarten
Honourable Mentions
Hug
Jez Alborough

Who Sank the Boat?

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Pamela Allen
What Do You See?
Bill Martin Jnr and Eric Carle
The Train Ride
June Crebbin

You Choose
Pippa Goodheart and Nick Sharratt

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

Michael Rosen

Come on Daisy!
Jane Simmons
 Pre-Primary (Preparatory/ Reception/ Kindergarten)
PICTURE BOOKS

Handa’s Surprise
Eileen Browne
The Grumpy
Lighthouse Keeper
Terrizita Corpus
Mrs Armitage on Wheels
Quentin Blake

Diary of a Wombat
Jackie French

Possum Magic
The Gruffalo
Mem Fox
Julia Donaldson

Rosie’s Walk
Pat Hutchins
On the Way Home
Jill Murphy

Six Dinner Sid

Inga Moore

4
Pre-Primary (Preparatory/ Reception/ Kindergarten)
PICTURE BOOKS

Pre-Primary
Honourable Mentions
The Waterhole
Graeme Base

Mr Gumpy’s Outing
John Burningham
The Owl Who Was
Afraid of the Dark
Jill Tomlinson Shhh!
Sally Grindley

Noni the Pony

Alison Lester

Whatever Next!
Jill Murphy

Wombat Stew
Goodnight Moon
Marcia Vaughan Margaret Wise Brown

Farmer Duck
Martin Waddell

Owl Babies
Martin Waddell
 Year 1
PICTURE BOOKS

Mr Archimedes’ Bath Beegu

Pamela Allen Alexis Deacon

Avocado Baby
John Burningham

Lost and Found

Oliver Jeffers The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Dogger Judith Kerr
Shirley Hughes

Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak

Edwina the Emu Peace at Last

Sheena Knowles Jill Murphy

6
Year 1
PICTURE BOOKS CHAPTER BOOKS

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Roald Dahl

Can’t You Sleep

Little Bear?
Martin Waddell

Year 1
Honourable
Mentions

Cops and Robbers

Alan and Janet Ahlberg
John Brown, Rose and
the Midnight Cat
Jenny Wagner Edward the Emu
Sheena Knowles

Are We There Yet?

Alison Lester

Elmer
David McKee

The Elephant and the Bad Baby

Knuffle Bunny Elfrida Vipont and Raymond Briggs
Mo Willems
 Year 2
PICTURE BOOKS

Gorilla Emily Brown and the Thing Fire

Anthony Browne Cressida Cowell Jackie French

Meerkat Mail
Emily Gravett Traction Man is Here Once There Was a Boy
Mini Grey Dub Leffler

The Flower Not Now Bernard Tuesday

John Light David McKee David Wiesner

Miss Lily’s Fabulous

Pink Feather Boa The Deep
Tim Winton
Margaret Wild

8
Year 2
NOVELS

Year 2
Honourable
Mentions

Who’s Afraid of the

Big Bad Book?
Lauren Child
Flat Stanley
Jeff Brown
The Giraffe, the Pelly Pumpkin Soup
and Me
Roald Dahl Helen Cooper

Tashi
Anna and Barbara Fienberg

Flood
Jackie French

Amazing Grace
Mary Hoffman

Frog and Toad Together

Willa and Old Miss Annie Arnold Lobel
Berlie Doherty
The Hodgeheg
Dick King-Smith

Dr Xargle’s Book
of Earthlets
Tony Ross

Bungawitta Kumiko and

Emily Rodda the Dragon
Briony Stewart
 Year 3
NOVELS

The Tale of Despereaux Ophelia and the The Iron Man

Kate DiCamillo Marvellous Boy Ted Hughes
Karen Foxlee

The Sheep-Pig (Babe) The Lion, the Witch Kensuke’s Kingdom

Dick King-Smith and the Wardrobe Michael Morpurgo
CS Lewis

Rowan of Rin
Emily Rodda

10
Year 3
PICTURE BOOKS

Year 3
Honourable
Mentions

The Eleventh Hour

Graeme Base
The Day the Crayons Quit
Drew Daywalt
Hansel and Gretel
Anthony Browne

The Little Refugee

Anh Do

Cat Tales: Ice Cat

Lind Newberry

The Battle of Bubble

and Squeak
Philippa Pearce
Fox
Margaret Wild
Pannikin & Pinta
Colin Thiele
 Year 4
NOVELS

The Miraculous Journey Bill’s New Frock Perry Angel’s Suitcase

of Edward Tulane Anne Fine Glenda Millard
Kate DiCamillo

Why the Whales Came The Firework-Maker’s Storm Boy

Michael Morpurgo Daughter Colin Thiele
Phillip Pullman

Charlotte’s Web
EB White

12
Year 4
PICTURE BOOKS

Year 4
Honourable
Mentions
The Snow-Walker’s Son
Catherine Fisher

Voices in the Park Ned Kelly and the

Anthony Browne Green Sash
Mark Greenwood

The Naming of Tishkin Silk

Glenda Millard

My Place
Nadia Wheatley
 Year 5
NOVELS

Cogheart The Night They My Girragundji

Peter Bunzl Stormed Eureka Meme McDonald and
Jackie French Boori Monty Pryor

Wolf Brother Tom’s Midnight Garden His Name was Walter

Michelle Paver Philippa Pearce Emily Rodda

Varjak Paw
SF Said

14
Year 5
PICTURE BOOKS

Year 5
Honourable
Mentions

The Wolves of
Willoughby Chase
Joan Aiken

The Watertower
Gary Crew
FArTHER
Grahame Baker-Smith

Street Child
Berlie Doherty

Black Cockatoo
Carl Merrison

Stolen Girl Waves

Trina Saffioti and Donna Rawlins
Norma MacDonald

Nevermoor: The Trials

of Morrigan Crow
Jessica Townsend
 Year 6
NOVELS

Skellig Little Brother Once

David Almond Allan Baillie Morris Gleitzman

Clockwork Holes The Hobbit

Phillip Pullman Louis Sachar J.R.R. Tolkien

Blueback
Tim Winton

16
Year 6
PICTURE BOOKS

Year 6
Honourable
Mentions

River Boy
Tim Bowler

Crow Country
Kate Constable
The Rabbits
John Marsden and Shaun Tan

Then
Morris Gleitzman

Soon
Morris Gleitzman

The Arrival
Shaun Tan
Please contact the Talk for Writing
training team at the Dyslexia-SPELD
Foundation if you would like more
information regarding:
• Where the books on the Australian Reading Spine can
be purchased.

• The development process for the Australian Reading Spine.

• The Talk for Writing and Talk for Reading approaches.

• How to access Talk for Writing and Talk for Reading training
in Australia.

To enquire about Talk for Writing

training, please contact:
T (08) 9217 2500
E [email protected]

www.dsf.net.au