We believe that picture books are for readers of all ages. A good picture book can be just as powerful, beautiful or thought-provoking as any longer-form story, and can be just as transformative for a reader, regardless of where they are on their reading journey. That’s because picture books aren’t just ‘charming artefacts of early childhood or a bulwark against a screen-based life. They are the foundation of literacy, cultural knowledge, and cognitive growth.’ [1]. We’re confident that among the hundreds of diverse picture books on StoryBox Hub, you’ll find plenty to inspire your older readers and kids both big and small.

Picture books can encourage deep discussion, serving as a springboard for thoughtful engagement with complex or sensitive topics. They can provide fun, entertaining introductions to thematic units of work across all curriculum areas. They can inspire reluctant readers, students struggling with literacy, or those for whom English is a second language [2] by giving them the opportunities for achievable progress and meeting their reading goals.

Here are some other ways you can incorporate StoryBox stories into your teenage learning spaces:

·     Facilitating conversations, allowing nuanced engagement with difficult or challenging ideas. Evidence shows that the sharing of picture books improves student engagement in literacy and helps grow students’ understandings of many societal issues.[3] For example, explore themes of bullying and belonging with the rich subtext of Cicada, from the multi-award winning Shaun Tan. Or discover the fictionalised account of the Stolen Generation in Stolen Girl, by Trina Saffioti and Norma MacDonald.

·     Exploring mental health and wellbeing. Sophisticated picture books can also be ‘a valuable tool for addressing various cognitive, behavioural and developmental needs of the reader’ [2]. Shaun Tan’s The Red Tree offers a moving visual portrayal of what depression might feel like, and the feelings that can’t always be expressed in words. Or watch Be Your Own Man, a book that encourages boys to broaden their ideas about what it means to be a boy.

·     Scaffolding writing skills and introducing story structure. Picture books are an effective way of modelling complex creative writing skills, including multimodal texts, language styles and literary devices, story text features, and how visual features shape meaning. Try Sonam and the Silence by Eddie Eyres and Ronak Taher, a lyrical fable-like story about the irrepressible power of music, and explore the classroom ideas and student activities. Kids can create their own poem, or make a chart identifying the story parts such as setting, complication and resolution. And for more to help your young people master the mechanics of storytelling, try Story Tools, a series of short video tutorials and resources presented by some of Australia’s best-loved children’s creators. Find out more about Story Tools and try a free lesson now.

·     Visual literacy. The illustrations in picture books often provide complex layered meaning requiring an interpretation of symbols and the connection of those symbols to their meaning in the world. The skills gained from reading a wordless picture book – interpretation of context clues, emotional intelligence, body language, and imagination – are just as valuable as the skills required for written text. [4] Explore the wonderful Imagine a City by Elise Hurst, a story that encourages readers to open their minds and dream of magical places filled with the unexpected. Or watch The Boy and the Elephant by Freya Blackwood, a wordless picture book performed with stunning original music by cellist Zoe Barry.

·     Non-fiction and fact-based picture-books can be especially useful for older students, presenting real-world, historical or scientific concepts in a visually rich way. Discover seven inspiring stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from history in Heroes, Rebels and Innovators, by Karen Wyld and Jaelyn Biumaiwai. Or watch The Good Son by Pierre-Jacques Ober and Jules Ober, a moving story based on true World War I events and re-enacted in fascinating miniature scenes that convey the emotional complexity of the tale.

Teachers and librarians who have used StoryBox in their secondary spaces have found it a valuable tool for engaging their older readers. As one Tasmanian high school educator said, ‘I introduced the site to a student who was struggling big time, and no-one could get him to settle and concentrate – but I showed him how to log on to StoryBox Hub and he was mesmerised for a good 10 minutes with How to Move a Zoo. We have the publication here, but he just was not in the mood to sit and absorb via the book – but logging onto a computer, and having the computer talk to him – “engage with him” – he was mesmerised.’

Our growing collection of stories covers a broad range of topics, and can be filtered in a number of ways; select the Lower Secondary age-range option to filter stories particularly suited to older readers, and you’ll also find a suite of resources, activities and downloadable worksheets and templates to help students engage with the text. Or, filter stories by theme to find picture books suitable for use across the curriculum. Here are just a few suggestions:

Maths and Science:

·     The Beehive

·     Naturopolis

·     Looking After Country with Fire

·     Kind

·     Flood

·     Iceberg

·     South with the Seabirds

Health and Physical Education:

·     Love Your Body

·     Girl on a Wire

·     The Duck and the Darklings

·     Hope is the Thing

·     Surfing in the Dark

Humanities and Social Sciences:

·     Finding Our Heart

·     Where

·     My Strange Shrinking Parents

·     When We Say Black Lives Matter

·     Jandamarra

·     Home and Away

Languages:

·     Origami Heart

·     My Two Blankets

·     Open Your Heart to Country

·     Be Careful, Xiao Xin

·     Ninni Yabini

The Arts:

·     Paradise Sands: A Story of Enchantment

·     Girl from the Sea

·     Rules of Summer

·     The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon

·     The Library of Bears

Technologies:

·     The Imagineer

·     How to Make a Bird

·     The Incredible Freedom Machines

Whether your engaging reluctant readers, providing an entertaining introduction to an area of study, or simply looking to give your older students a fresh perspective on writing and storytelling, you’ll find a picture book to suit your needs in our library. Find lower secondary stories here.

Sources:

1.    Pondiscio, Robert, “Picture Books lay the groundwork for reading success and cultural literacy”, Thomas B Fordham Institute, July 2025)

2.    Templeton, Trisha, “Picture perfect: The role of picture books in a secondary classroom”, The Journal for Educators, 2020

3.    Clarke, Carolyn; Throop Robinson, Evan; Carter, Ellen; Broders, Jo Anne, “Using Picture Books to Enhance Meaningful, Inclusive, and Socially Just Relationships”, LEARNing Landscapes, Spring 2025, Issue 29

4.    Atchison, Hannah, “The Importance of Wordless Picture Books”, Manhattan Public Library, April 2024.