“To encourage children to read is to create a nation populated by curious young minds who are empathetic, empowered and able to make better decisions. Reading knits our diverse communities together and gives a voice to all.” - Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation

Supported by the Australian Federal Government, the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation (ACLF) established the first Australian Children’s Laureate in 2012, in order to promote the transformational power of reading, creativity and story in the lives of young Australians. To ensure ACLF can continue to enrich the lives of young Australians through the power of story, Story Box Library (SBL) is supporting them to ‘Keep Reading Alive!’

The ACLF plays a crucial role in supporting Australian literature and voices, as well as inspiring young children across the country to continue reading, learning and being creative. Via their ‘Keep Reading Alive!’ matched fundraising campaign, running until the Laureate Summit on 16 March, all donations of $25 or more will be matched by a funding partner. By donating to the ACLF, you will improve accessibility to story-reads to children across the country, by enabling Laureate visits to regional or remote areas in Australia, along with delivery of stories with Auslan translations and in languages other than English. 

The current Australian Children’s Laureate (2020-2021) is Ursula Dubosarsky, the beloved Sydney-based author of over 60 books for children and young adults. From a very young age, Ursula was certain she wanted to be a writer, and has dedicated her life to sharing a love of writing, reading, and learning with all.

As part of Ursula’s mission as current Laureate, she is encouraging everyone, from teachers to families and carers, to ‘Read for your Life!’ By visiting the library regularly, and engaging with the infinite stories available, young children experience the magic of storytelling, and learn more about the world around them. Encouraging a love of reading does not come naturally to all, so it’s important to show children the wonderful worlds they can explore in stories.

View some of Ursula’s beloved and award-winning books on SBL, including Reindeer's Christmas Surprise, written for the annual David Jones Christmas window display, and Midnight At the Library, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Library of Australia.

Visit the ACLF donation page to contribute, and continue inspiring young Australians through story.

Watch Noni Hazlehurst introduce the Australian Children's Laureate series of stories here on SBL.