1 September is Indigenous Literacy Day; a day where we celebrate the culture, stories and language of our First Nations peoples.

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) strives to reduce the literacy gap and get books in the hands of young people in remote communities. They also have a fantastic publishing program, showcasing young First Nations artists and writers, who often work with established storytellers. Below are five of our favourite new and recent books from the ILF and when you purchase one of these, not only do you get a beautiful book for your family to enjoy, but you also directly support their important work in First Nations communities.

Tudei en Longtaim by Stella Raymond

Move and back and forth in time in Stella Raymond’s fascinating book comparing how life is lived now in Aboriginal communities to how it was lived in the olden days. Written in English and Kriol, Stella’s home language, this book is not only an insight into Aboriginal life now and then, but also to a language that is widely spoken across the top of Australia. Ages two and up will enjoy.

Can You Dance? by Sally Morgan and illustrated by Kathy Arbon

Written by one of Australia’s best loved authors, this board book will get toddlers and preschoolers up off their feet following the actions of the animals featured in the book. They’ll soon be flapping their arms like a scary magpie’s wings, stomping their feet like a cheeky wombat and dancing like a silly lizard, along with the actions of five other animals.Destined to become a family favourite, as everyone shows how they can dance and stomp and flap. Perfect for ages one and up.

Exo-Dimensions by Seraphina Newberry

Exo-Dimensions is a roller coaster of a ride into central Australian Indigenous creation stories, woven through family relationships, honour and sheer adventure.

This story unsettles linear time as the past catches up with the future and vice versa, while the present reveals itself in intimate moments of connections, losses and mayhem. This book is a classic, one that readers will pick up to experience a dizzyingly accurate picture of the chaotic rhythms we are currently living through. Readers aged 11 and up will be captivated.

Storm Warning by Lauren Boyle

Storm Warning is an adventure story for our times. It is a wake-up call to pay attention to what Earth is telling us through unprecedented weather patterns. This story entangles natural and human-made disasters stretching back from the British nuclear tests at Maralinga to a massively destructive storm in the present day.

The main characters, two teenage friends, and their pet dog, are left to outwit ‘mutants’ - who have been unwittingly released through a chain of catastrophic events. This first book in a series for readers aged 11 and up ends on a thrilling cliffhanger.

Mixed Feelings by Declan Miller

This first book in a series introduces the main character, Pam, as she struggles with the anxieties of fitting in at school.

This story is set in Alice Springs / Mparntwe where Pam lives with her Uncle, Graham. Graham struggles to support his niece to survive the ‘sticks and stones’ of being ‘at odds’ with the world. Pam gets caught-up in the wrong crowd which leads her into a downward spiral. Mixed Feelings is suitable for readers aged 11 and up.