50 Best Anzac Day Books for Children & Teens (2025)
50 best Anzac Day books for children & teens: Stories of the great Australian and New Zealand Anzacs who served and why we remember them today.
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‘THE ODE’
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
– Read full poem, For The Fallen by Laurence Binyon here
50 Best Anzac Day Books for Children & Teens (2025)
The list of all 50 Books:
- Lone Pine: 110th Anniversary Edition (2025 Release)
- We’re All Australians Now
- Never Forget
- Along the Road to Gundagai (Book and CD)
- The Poppy
- Anzac Biscuits (Special Edition)
- Light Horse Boy
- Anzac Girl: The War Diaries of Alice Ross-King
- Anzac Day: The New Zealand Story
- My Grandad Marches on Anzac Day
- Rachel’s War: The Story of an Australian WWI Nurse
- Alfred’s War
- This is Where I Stand
- Memorial
- A Day to Remember
- This Old Thing
- One Minute’s Silence
- Anzac Ted
- The Anzac Spirit (New release)
- Tommy’s Anzac Day
- Lest We Forget
- Meet… the ANZACs
- Anzac Heroes
- Soldier Boy
- Soldier Boy: The Play (Adapted from the classic novel)
- Young Digger
- Scarecrow Army: The ANZACs at Gallipoli: The ANZACs at Gallipoli
- Australia Remembers 2: Customs & Traditions of the Australian Defence Force
- Australia Remembers: Wartime Nurses: Care and Compassion (Volume 6)
- Australia’s Military History For Dummies
- Nation of Swaggies (Fair Dinkum Histories #5)
- Weevils, War & Wallabies (Fair Dinkum Histories #6)
- History of Anzac Day: A Day of Remembrance & Reflection for Courage & Sacrifice
- Without Warning: Ellen’s Story, 1914-1918
- Gallipoli (My Australian Story)
- The Great Gallipoli Escape
- A Rose for the Anzac Boys
- The Horses Didn’t Come Home
- Only A Donkey
- Roly, the Anzac Donkey
- Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War
- The Anzac Puppy
- The Tale Of The Anzac Tortoise
- Simpson and his Donkey
- Big Bill: A Story in the ANZAC Tradition
- The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded
- Anzac Animals
- Animal Heroes
- Anzac Day Fun Things To Do: Quiz, Games, Crafts and More For You
- Anzac Day Colouring Book: Celebrate the Courage and Sacrifice of Veterans
“25 April 1915 – The barges, lifeboats and rowboats set out from the big ships before dawn. As the sky grew grey the first 1,500 men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) waded ashore into enemy gunfire on a narrow strip of Turkish Beach.” So begins A Day to Remember: The Story of Anzac Day by Jackie French.
It tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign on the first Anzac Day of 25th April, 1915 and why we hold dawn services each year. This is a beautifully written picture book that portrays the significance of Anzac Day with evocative illustrations by Mark Wilson, highlighting subsequent wars and the Anzacs through the decades. It is a reflection of the 100 years that have passed since that tragic dawn when the Anzacs first landed on the shores of the Gallipoli peninsula.
This is just one of many picture books included in this list that introduce the first world war and this important day to children in an age-appropriate way. Take your pick of Anzac Day books from this list of 50 great stories that include picture books, biographies, non-fiction, historical fiction and activity books. I strongly encourage you to read as many of these as possible as each one brings a different perspective of the Anzacs and many of them tell a great story of little known people or circumstances that you may have never heard of.
If we recite ‘The Ode’ at our pre-dawn Anzac day service this year, we want our children to know more than just dates and names of battles and landings. Here are the stories of those who lived it, the Australian soldiers and the New Zealand soldiers side by side, the ones who did not make it home and those who were left at home, enduring it from the other side of the world.
Having a good understanding of the origins and meaning of Anzac Day is an important part of knowing our Australian history. Understanding our history and those who have gone before, helps us to understand not just past but also the present and the future and what we can learn from the past.
By the time you have read through several of these selections, you will have started to develop a deeper connection to the stories of those who fought and many who fell on the shores far from home. Anzac Ted tells a moving story of a battered teddy bear who went to war, allowing children to recognise that sometimes we need to look beneath the surface in order to understand the experiences of others.
Read the moving poem We’re All Australians now by Banjo Paterson which highlights the states and locations, including the Australian outback from which the soldiers came. There was a huge diversity of vocations of the men who signed up to fight which also included the many boy soldiers who lied about their age in order to fight in the Great War.
Follow the incredible true story of a German orphan in Young Digger. This is the heartwarming story of a little boy who wandered into the Australian airmen’s mess on Christmas Day and found a new life.
Rachel Bin Salleh’s poignant narrative in Alfred’s War tells the little known story of Australian Indigenous servicemen who fought for Australia as well as the lack of recognition that those who returned home received for their service. This was not just the case here in Australia but also for Indigenous soldiers from New Zealand. Tragically this was also the case in many countries around the world in the wars of the 20th century.
Enjoy the many touching stories of animal heroes who navigated war alongside our brave Anzac soldiers. Although a fictional story, the Anzac Puppy is based on the true story of Freda, a Harlequin Great Dane. Freda became the mascot of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade during World War I. This is a simple story that portrays the reality of war in a sensitive way for younger readers. Read more animal hero stories in 33 Heroes: True War Stories of Courageous Animals.
If you want to add some activity to your Anzac Day learning, head to Notebooking Pages for lots of great ideas that will take the stress out of your homeschooling days. I have included a colouring book and an activity book in the list which includes games, crafts, quizzes, poetry and food to serve on Anzac Day. Anzac Day Fun Things To Do includes recipes for Donna Hay’s Anzac Biscuits as well as delicious pavlova for dessert. There are crafts for red poppies and remembrance wreaths as well as iconic poetry to recite for dawn services and afterward as you remember those who served.
If you are wanting to borrow or buy any of these selections, get in fast as these titles are often lent out or sold out well before Anzac Day.
The Red Poppy
After Canadian medical officer, John McCrae wrote his poem In Flanders Fields in 1915, the scarlet poppy became a universal symbol for remembrance; remembering those who had died and suffered as a result of war.
Spanning right across northern Belgium and northwest France, the dormant red corn poppy seeds in Flanders Fields were stirred up as result of the trauma to the soil during the many battles there. The vibrant red poppies are said to have risen up from the blood of the one million soldiers from 50 different countries who were injured or died in Flanders Fields.
The scarlet poppy is typically associated with Remembrance Day, held on the 11th November in Australia, commemorating Armistice Day when the fighting with Germany ceased in World War 1. However, the red poppy is also worn on Anzac Day and wreaths of red poppies are laid at memorials and honour boards as a symbol of remembrance, often during the Anzac dawn service.
The Last Post
In military tradition, there are several bugle calls throughout the day that indicate transitions from one phase to another. The final bugle call of the day is called the Last Post that indicates the day’s activities are over and the sentry’s are all in place, standing guard while soldiers sleep. It is sounded on Remembrance Day and at Anzac dawn services to commemorate the final rest of the fallen soldiers.
Anzac Biscuits
Those left back at home in Australia and New Zealand wanted to send some love in the form of something delicious and nutritious from home. Because of the long transport times in often hot and damp conditions, Anzac Biscuits became popular due to the fact they could be baked hard and the ingredients did not spoil easily on their journey to the soldiers. Personally, we bake ours for a little less time in order to make them more chewy rather than crunchy but bake to your own preferences. These are delicious and always disappear fast in our household 🤤. They are such a lovely, heartwarming way to commemorate Anzac Day.
Make your own delicious Anzac Biscuits by following this recipe by the iconic Donna Hay. The recipe is also included in Anzac Day Fun Things To Do.
Notebooking Pages
We have used many of these Notebooking Pages in our homeschool after purchasing lifetime access many years ago. If you are wanting to add a hands on approach to your Anzac Day studies by creating folders, projects or lap books, I highly recommend Notebooking Pages.
These products and the abundance of homeschooling advice that Debra, mother of 10 offers in her tutorials are gold. If you are stressed and overwhelmed and find the joy has gone out of your learning, take the pressure off and visit Notebooking Pages to revolutionise your homeschool today.
Picture Books
Typically, I would say that picture books are appropriate for all ages but as any book about war contains mature themes, please preview before deciding whether a book is appropriate for your family. That said, because they are targeted at young children, most of them deal with this topic in a sensitive, age appropriate way. The illustrations are beautiful and touching and a great way to introduce your children to a difficult topic and conversations about the war.
Lone Pine: 110th Anniversary Edition
$18.99
$14.23
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2025 Release
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02/02/2026 12:01 pm GMT
We're All Australians Now
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$4.99
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02/02/2026 02:13 pm GMT
Never Forget
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$24.59
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02/02/2026 01:09 pm GMT
Along the Road to Gundagai + CD
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$22.48
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02/02/2026 07:03 am GMT
![ANZAC Biscuits [Special Edition]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/712St7OVv-L._SY385_.jpg)
ANZAC Biscuits [Special Edition]
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02/02/2026 02:12 pm GMT
Light Horse Boy
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Anzac Girl: The War Diaries of Alice Ross-King
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02/02/2026 08:01 am GMT
Anzac Day: The New Zealand Story
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$25.07
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02/02/2026 06:03 am GMT
My Grandad Marches on Anzac Day
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$16.78
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02/02/2026 01:09 pm GMT
Rachel's War: The Story of an Australian WWI Nurse
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02/02/2026 02:12 pm GMT
Alfred's War
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02/02/2026 02:02 am GMT
This Is Where I Stand
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02/02/2026 09:08 pm GMT
Memorial (Simply Read Books)
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$17.74
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02/02/2026 02:15 pm GMT
A Day to Remember
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$3.98
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02/03/2026 01:03 am GMT
This Old Thing
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$27.39
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02/02/2026 06:03 pm GMT
One Minute's Silence
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$67.94
Age 8+
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02/02/2026 02:14 pm GMT
Meet the ANZACs
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$17.29
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02/02/2026 12:03 pm GMT
ANZAC Heroes
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$41.94
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02/02/2026 02:13 pm GMT
Biographies
Soldier Boy
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02/02/2026 02:14 pm GMT
Soldier Boy The Play
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02/02/2026 02:14 pm GMT
Young Digger
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$26.95
Goodreads: 3.8* - 304 pages
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02/02/2026 08:04 pm GMT
Scarecrow Army: The ANZACs at Gallipoli (The Drum)
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$12.27
Goodreads: 4.14* - 192 pages
Age 12+ - There is some mild offensive language but if you can tolerate this, the value of this story outweighs any negative content. It very much highlights the coming together of Australians and New Zealanders even before they reached the war.
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02/02/2026 03:26 pm GMT
Non-Fiction
Customs and Traditions of the Australian Defence Force
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02/02/2026 01:08 pm GMT
Australia's Military History For Dummies
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02/02/2026 06:06 am GMT
Fair Dinkum Histories #6: Weevils, War and Wallabies (Fairdinkum Histories)
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02/02/2026 10:06 am GMT
History of Anzac Day: A Day of Remembrance and Reflection for Courage and Sacrifice
Amazon
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Historical Fiction
Gallipoli (My Australian Story)
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$17.84
240 pages
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02/02/2026 10:04 am GMT
The Great Gallipoli Escape
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$16.45
Goodreads: 4.06* - 304 pages
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02/02/2026 05:02 pm GMT
We love Jackie French and have used many of her books, including picture books and historical fiction, as a spring board for our Australian History. A Rose for the Anzac Boys was one of our favourites and evokes fond memories for me of when my 6 children were all still at home and we would be gathered together for read alouds after lunch each day.
A Rose for the Anzac Boys
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Goodreads: 4.03* - 304 pages
Age 12+
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02/03/2026 01:03 am GMT
The Horses Didn't Come Home
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$6.99
Goodreads: 4.2* - 256 pages
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02/02/2026 07:15 pm GMT
Animal War Heroes
Only a Donkey
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$17.18
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02/02/2026 02:13 pm GMT
Roly, the Anzac Donkey
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$17.75
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02/02/2026 02:14 pm GMT
Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War
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$10.99
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02/02/2026 11:04 pm GMT
Anzac Puppy
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02/02/2026 06:03 am GMT
The Tale of the Anzac Tortoise
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02/02/2026 06:01 pm GMT
Simpson and his Donkey
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02/02/2026 03:27 pm GMT
Big Bill: A Story in the ANZAC Tradition
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02/02/2026 06:05 am GMT
The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded (Animal Stars)
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Goodreads: 3.89* - 224 pages
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02/02/2026 03:30 pm GMT
Anzac Animals
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02/02/2026 07:01 am GMT
Animal Heroes
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$31.95
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02/02/2026 04:00 am GMT
10 Best Anzac Day Books: Book List for Teens (2025)
For the soldiers, nurses and others who served in World War I, this 10 Best Anzac Day Books: Book List for Teens (2025) brings their…
33 Heroes: True War Stories of Courageous Animals
Celebrate the unique bond between animals and humans in these true war stories of courageous animals. 33 heroes shine a light in the darkness of…
Activity Books
Anzac Day Coloring Book
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02/02/2026 06:03 pm GMT
Storyschooling Bible Journey
The Bible as One Story Lesson Plans
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- Launching late 2026!
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YEAR 4: Christian History: Deeper Bible studies
