in celebration of driving—10 favourite picture books

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in celebration of driving—10 favourite picture books

ages 2 to 10 years
When Joan was a (very) little girl her parents owned a milk factory and she and her brother would ‘borrow’ the milk trucks and drive around town. It was a two person job: Joan on the gears and keeping a look out, brother Warren steering and giving directions! Hilarious and terrifying—but according to Joan, ‘just something we did’! .....
Since every adult in the world may now drive, we’ve gathered a collection of books about driving

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The Darkest Dark: in overcoming fears we become free to reach dreams about who we want to be

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The Darkest Dark: in overcoming fears we become free to reach dreams about who we want to be

ages 4 to 10 years
Chris Hadfield (astronaut, musician, author, celebrity crush for stem-loving women around the world) has said: "Every single thing that you learn really just gives you more comfort.”

He was talking about taking the opportunity to learn any skill, any idea, at any time—embracing the notion that knowledge is power and that with knowledge comes freedom. And one of the freedoms most everyone seeks for their children is freedom from fear, real or imagined. The Darkest Dark is about just that: overcoming fear. It's also a love story, a promise, an inspiration.

It's the story of a boy, his love for space, and how that love overcomes his deepest fear: fear of the dark.

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a very funny look at the importance of individuals and communities

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a very funny look at the importance of individuals and communities

ages 2 to 8 years
Here’s a brilliantly engaging and amusing story about 71 sheep, a ball of wool, and a wolf. With a superbly developed sense of the absurd, the storyline follows the sheep and their attempt to play a game of soccer: The sheep count themselves and realise that with 71 of them, they have the perfect number for a game of soccer!

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a rare story about an internally displaced family that is, at once, sobering and uplifting

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a rare story about an internally displaced family that is, at once, sobering and uplifting

ages 6 to 12 years
The civil war in Lebanon ran for about 15 years and even though it officially ended almost thirty years ago (in 1990), the IDMC says that there were still about 12,000 displaced people in Lebanon in 2015. This book tells the story of Sami, who is ten years old and has lived with the troubles of the Lebanon Civil War all his life...

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the sweetness of renewed hope

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the sweetness of renewed hope

ages 2 to 8 years
There seems to be a visceral human connection to gardens—they’re inspiring and calming. And, as much as visiting any garden lightens the soul, it’s the nurture of our very own gardens that speaks to so many of us. That’s especially true of children. In this story, Mae and her family move from the country to the city and, in the process, leave behind her beloved garden...

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a tender but unflinching story of Australia's Stolen Generation

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a tender but unflinching story of Australia's Stolen Generation

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

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determination and imagination will get you there in the end—just maybe not where you expected!

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determination and imagination will get you there in the end—just maybe not where you expected!

When you’re a worm on a mission to get to an apple, you need determination and imagination – and you need to be a go-with-the-flow sort of worm. There’s a great punchline in this book and easy to ‘read’ pictures too.
ages newborn to 8 years

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