Bluff Point's Library Regeneration Program!

Dymocks Children's Charities was delighted to deliver over 500 new books to Bluff Point Primary School in Western Australia through our Library Regeneration program!

The school's Library Officer, Jess shared "This is an incredibly generous program! To provide students with new and exciting material to open their minds to the joy and adventure that books can bring, was an absolute gift, and one that that will keep on giving for years and years!"

Here's what the students had to say...

“It is so thoughtful that they gave us all of these books, they will help a lot of kids to read. It has inspired me to keep reading and learning new things.”

— Sophia

“There is such a variety of books to read now. I can’t wait to try new authors and get inspiration for my drawing from the graphic novels. I can also get more knowledge with the new fact books.”

— James

Happy reading Bluff Point students!

Do you remember the book that changed your life?

Have you ever read a life-changing book? Maybe it was a childhood classic that inspired a lifelong love of reading. Perhaps it was a book that inspired your career, or just made you feel seen and understood.

Unfortunately many Australians will never fully understand the feeling of finding comfort in reading. This is because 1 in 10 adults in Australia have low-literacy or are illiterate.*

Literacy skills are grown and nurtured in homes and classrooms. This is a barrier for tens of thousands of children who are growing up in poverty with very limited access to books.

Your donation to Dymocks Children’s Charities will ensure children will be welcomed back to school this year in classrooms filled with brand-new books. Our literacy programs give schools and students agency to select books that inspire and speak to them.

CLICK HERE to here to make a difference today:

DCC Ambassador, Jacqueline Harvey honours Great Debate 2023 auction winner!

At our 2023 Great Debate Gala, one of our major auction prizes included the opportunity to name a character in Jacqueline Harvey's next Willa and Woof book series.

After meeting with the family who won the incredible money-can't-buy prize, Jacqueline shared "I want to thank the real Peter, Ann-Marie, Brandon, Hudson and Daisy for allowing me the privilege of making them characters in this story. I hope I’ve done you all justice. Hudson is most definitely a great hugger and Brandon truly is the most wonderful big brother. Peter and Ann-Marie generously purchased an auction item at Dymocks Children’s Charities Great Debate, which was to have one of their children’s names in an upcoming book. When I heard about Hudson’s story and the adoration of his big brother, Brandon, I felt as if Willa would love to get to know them too. I hope you do as well.”

The Willa and Woof series follow the humorous and heartfelt adventures of eight-year-old Willa and her best four-legged friend, Woof! Double the Drama is the sixth book in the series and explores themes of friendship, imagination and conflict resolution. It’s time to put on a play at school, but not everyone is getting along. Will a new friend come between Willa and Tae?

Jacqueline Harvey is a long-time Dymocks Children’s Charities ambassador and champion for children’s literacy. It is an honour to have Jacqueline as a DCC Ambassador, her passion for literacy, storytelling and our charity’s mission is evident in all that she does. She is the author of the popular Alice-Miranda, Clementine Rose, Kensy and Max and Willa and Woof series, which have sold almost two million copies in Australia alone. Her books have received numerous shortlistings and awards while her picture book, The Sound of the Sea, was a CBCA Honour Book.

Jacqueline speaks to thousands of young people at schools and festivals around the world, and says the characters in her books are often made up of the best bits of children she’s met over the years. Jacqueline will be joining DCC at our very first Inspired Readers Festival taking place in Armidale NSW in November 2023.

Dymocks Children’s Charities is so thrilled to share the wonderful story of Hudson and Brandon featuring in the latest Willa and Woof: Double the Drama. To learn more about the book, please click here

Dymocks Children’s Charities and SchoolAid partner in flood relief support for Cabbage Tree Island Public School.

Dymocks Children’s Charities (DCC) and SchoolAid have partnered together to support the Cabbage Tree Island community through their flood recovery efforts in 2022-2023. Cabbage Tree Island Public School is in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales which experienced intense rainfall and storms during the 2022 Australian east coast floods.

The Cabbage Tree Island community was evacuated from the island and was faced with the difficult task of rebuilding their homes, school and lives. The entire island was submerged because of the flooding.  

In response, DCC and SchoolAid sprung to action and joined forces to establish a sense of normality and continuity for the children through the power of books. With the generous support of donors, SchoolAid donated $22,000 towards flood relief for Cabbage Tree Island Public School which was matched by DCC to offer a substantial library regeneration program valued at over $44,000.

Library Regeneration Program

DCC’s Library Regeneration program stocks school libraries with brand-new books of their choice. The school selects books from a catalogue of over 2,600 quality titles to ensure the books target the specific needs, interests, and curriculum of the school community.

In November 2022, Cabbage Tree Island School was able to re-open in their temporary Wardell campus location. This is just the first step in the school’s flood recovery journey. Ready to welcome the students on their first day back at school were over 1,500 books.

Commenting on the impact of the program, school principal Dyonne Anderson shared “our library now has books that students can read, and teachers can use in their classrooms. Our school lost all its resources in the flood, so the program is greatly appreciated. It allows students to have access to books after 9 months with very few books.”

“We were able to select from a great range of books and topics that our students are interested in reading. We have to rebuild our whole library, so these first books are extremely important to get us started in our rebuild. The program contributes to their health and wellbeing which is a focus for our school especially at this time.”

Melanie Smith, General Manager of Dymocks Children’s Charities said “the strength and unity of the Cabbage Tree Island community and school was so evident at every step of our time working with them. Dymocks Children’s Charities with the help of SchoolAid was pleased to get books and puzzles into children’s hands to offer a small distraction and ensure children don’t lose their sense of play, imagination and fun in very difficult and confronting circumstances.”