What a year it’s been for the Story Box Library team and family, worldwide! Between the team being in and out of statewide lockdowns in Victoria, Australia and another big year for remote learning, we thank the teachers, librarians, education professionals and parents who make up the Story Box Library...and of course the kids and families who enjoy our stories every day!

Some highlights of 2021 include releasing our first ever Auslan Story Time series, another blockbuster year of CBCA Book Week story releases and activities (with over 1 million story views during August and over 1000 resource downloads), online events about diversity in children’s literature and mythbusting screen time, a special partnership with Melbourne Writers Festival, filming many more story reads including three with storyteller and Librarian Storyteller of the Year 2020 Winner Frankie Jaiyeola, and developing the StoryBox app (coming very soon!).

We hope that you are beginning to wind down and relax during this time, and can enjoy quality time with loved ones far and wide. You can use our stories about Family Life and Celebrations & Events with children, helping them understand the importance of community, culture and festivities. We are excited to welcome in another year, supporting digital storytelling and learning opportunities worldwide, and most importantly, inspiring creativity and getting kids excited about reading!

CBCA Book Week 2022 stories & activities

With the theme of ‘Dreaming With Eyes Open’, the Story Box Library team is excited to release popular and shortlisted story titles in collaboration with CBCA, and develop more educational resources available to subscribers. Explore this year’s CBCA Book Week stories and activities here.

Librarian Storyteller of the Year 2022

Following the popularity and success of our inaugural Librarian Storyteller of the Year competition, Story Box Library will be running the award again in 2022! Promoting the important work of librarians, library staff and libraries everywhere, engaging librarian storytellers are encouraged to join the competition for the chance to win outstanding Story Box Library prizes. Read the Q&A with Frankie Jaiyeola, Librarian Storyteller of the Year Winner 2020.

New Graphic Organisers and Thinking Tools

Supporting subscribing educators and teachers, Story Box Library will be releasing brand new Graphic Organisers and Thinking Tools in early 2022! With over 400 diverse stories in our digital collection, educators can use our educational resources alongside engaging story reads, saving time in the classroom and encouraging deeper text engagement with students. Download for free, for a limited time only.

Units of Work - STEM, Mental Health & Wellbeing and HASS

Supporting subscribing educators with engaging hands-on lessons, SBL will be introducing new Units of Work - comprehensive thematic units of work linked to Australian curriculum learning outcomes, encouraging hands-on learning opportunities and collaboration between students. The first 2021 release focuses on STEM learning outcomes for F-6 students, with a final activity involving students in a team construction challenge. Our upcoming Units of Work release during Term 1 2022 will focus on Mental Health and Wellbeing, and during Term 2, HASS. Learn more about our first Units of Work series, focussing on STEM.

New Laureate 2022-2023 announcement

The Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation (ACLF) will announce the new children’s literature ambassador and Laureate on 8 March 2022, and Story Box Library is excited to be working closely with ACLF for their announcement. The ACLF promotes the transformational power of reading, creativity and story in the lives of young Australians. Read our feature on Ursula Dubosarsky, ACLF Laureate 2020-2021.

Online events and webinars for everyone

Exploring a wide range of topics and themes, and suitable for educators, librarians and parents alike, Story Box Library will continue running popular and engaging online events for Professional Development and learning opportunities. Follow our social media pages for event announcements and updates happening throughout the year. Discover our Professional Development events and webinars here.

More public library reading programs

We love libraries, and work to continuously support libraries across Australia, New Zealand and more, to enhance their learning and education programs and services. Story Box Library will be releasing dedicated public library reading program resources in 2022, alongside ongoing support for subscribers using Story Box Library in their communities. Read more about how Story Box Library supports public libraries here.

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