10 Best Anzac Day Books: Book List for Teens (2025)
THE BOOK LIST
The 10 Best Books List for Teens: Anzac Day
In order to understand the significance of Anzac Day and what those, both on the frontlines and back here at home experienced, we have to know their stories. ANZAC is an acronym for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
Dawn services are held on April 25th every year to commemorate the dawn landings on April 25th, 1915 of the Anzacs on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, located between the Aegean Sea and the Dardanelles Strait. The Dawn services are held at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli as well as throughout Australian and New Zealand cities and regional towns. 2025 marks the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
There are plenty of beautiful picture books about the Anzacs available for younger children and quite a few Anzac books available for older children and tweens. See my 50 Best Anzac Day Books for Children & Teens here that has just a few teen options.
In the past, I have struggled to find book lists of well-written selections of Anzac Day books that are appropriate and engaging for teens. So… in order to compile a targeted list of 10 books, I decided to invest some time and do something about it.Â
This list of ten best books is the result of my research, reading and reviews. I have chosen ones that have rated well on Goodreads and that tell the true history of Anzac Day and the Anzac experience. My top pick books tell the stories of soldiers both very young (some who have lied about their age and are only 14 years old) and those who are older. There are stories of women and nurses in diverse roles near the frontlines and at home, as well as the role animals (predominantly horses) played, in the various battles of the Anzacs.Â
Arthur Brierley: original ANZAC who landed at Gallipoli 25 April 1915 & was killed near Ypres
I have ordered the books according to page count. You may want to start with lower word count books for reluctant readers. If you have a younger or more sensitive teen, I recommend starting with The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded as this is targeted at younger readers as young as seven years of age but is still an enjoyable read for older children and adults.
The included books also make great read alouds. I absolutely enjoyed and learned a lot from these as an adult so they are great choices for reading together as a family with your older children.
With the subject being the brutality of war, there are clearly some very distressing details that will not be appropriate for younger teens or sensitive older teens. Please preview before deciding which ones are appropriate for your family and for what ages.Â
BOOKS
War Horse
The First World War from the perspective of a beautiful red-bay farm horse, Joey wonders if he will ever see his Albert, the farm owner’s son again.
The traumatic circumstances endured also by horses on the battle fronts, remind me of another of our favourite horse stories about a different Joey, a therapy horse who helps others heal from pain and trauma. A fitting companion book to Joey along with themes of war is Project Solomon, another therapy horse who helps to break down the barriers of war veterans who have brought the war back home with them.
Scarecrow Army
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.
The Gallipoli Story
A Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book, The Gallipoli Story tells the human story of soldiers, politicians and generals who were all trying to make sense of this notorious battle fought so far from home.
The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded
With dates and locations that can be traced on a map at the beginning of each chapter, this a great introduction to the Gallipoli story for children new to chapter books, or for younger or sensitive teens. Clearly any story about war naturally contains distressing themes but French brings a compassionate approach to difficult topics in an age-appropriate way.
There is extensive back matter at the end of the book that provides historical information and context to the story as well as a glossary for terms with which we may not be so familiar today.
French ends this beautiful book with the words of Kemal Ataturk, written in 1934, that are today immortalised at what is now known as Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula as well as on the Kemal Ataturk Memorial on the grounds of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia:
“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives… You are now living in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours… You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.”
Gallipoli (My Story)
The Horses Didn’t Come Home
The Telegram
A Rose for the Anzac Boys
From school in England to assisting near the western front in France, these young women are drawn in to the war effort, further than they could have ever imagined. It highlights the wonderful way Australians and New Zealanders were drawn from all over the world in order to serve together. “Exhaustively researched yet written with the lightest of touches, this is Jackie French at her very best.”
Young Digger
“A young boy, an orphan of the First World War, wanders into the Australian airmen’s mess in Germany, on Christmas Day in 1918.” This beautiful Anzac Tale is a great story of a lost little boy and the young man and other Anzacs who loved him and gave him a home.
The Great Gallipoli Escape
VIDEO: Amazing Drip Rifle Invention
ANZAC BISCUITS
SONG – Spirit Of The Anzacs
Written and released in 2015 to raise funds for returning soldiers, Spirit of the Anzacs “was inspired by Kernaghan’s 2014 visit to the Australian War Memorial when he was shown archives of soldiers’ letters to family from the front lines. “Spirit of the Anzacs” is based on former Prime Minister Paul Keating’s 1993 eulogy at the interment of the Unknown Soldier.”
Lyrics – Spirit of the Anzacs
He's a drover drifting over Western Plains He's a city lad, a Clark down Flinder's Lane They're in the trenches at Lone Pine And on the Flanders firing line A willing band of ordinary men He's all of them He's one of us Born beneath The Southern Cross Side by side We say with pride He is all of them He is one of us Ooh-whoa Oh Whoa He's a pilot on a midnight bombing raid He's an able seaman on the Armidale She's a nurse in Vietnam They're on patrol in Uruzgan Sons and daughters rising to the call She's all of them She's one of us Born beneath The Southern Cross Side by side We say with pride She is all of them She is one of us Ooh-whoa Oh Whoa The spirit of the Anzacs Proud and strong Spirit of the Anzacs Will live on and on and on He's all of them He's one of us (He's one of us) Born beneath The Southern Cross Side by side We say with pride He is all of them She is all of them They are one of us Ooh-whoa Whoa Whoa They are one of us Ooh-whoa Whoa Whoa They are one of us
T-SHIRTS
50 Best Anzac Day Books for Children & Teens (2025)
A 4-year rotation through the whole Bible & church history.
- Prioritise Biblical literacy and truth (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
- Examine man-made doctrines (Acts 20:27-32).
- Journey with missionaries.
- Study Bible geography, maps & timelines.
- Read apologetics and worldview books.
- Build all other subject areas upon this foundation.
