Kimberley Kickers series: Ash Flies High

‘Ash Flies High‘ is the next middle reader book in the ‘Kimberley Kickers’ series. Following the successful ‘Krstel Kicks to Win‘ and CBCA Notables ‘Jy Goes for Gold‘ books, ‘Ash Flies High‘ is also set in remote outback Kimberley and follows Ash Johnson in his adventures around the outback. A unique way of life that gave players a distinct playing style and edge.

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This series, and Ash’s story, are important books for readers in the Kimberley, top end and Australia-wide. Ash’s resilience, grit and determination helped him develop new skills in each chapter, that went on to shape his life and his career as an AFL player. Follow him in his school athletics carnival, getting lost out bush, jumping from high cliffs into cool waterholes and many more adventures. While this is a book about having a big sports dream- it is not ‘just a sports’ book. It’s about culture, language, connection, outback life, distance and overcoming challenges.

So why middle reader biographies?

🪞They are mirrors for readers who can relate to them. ‘Ash Flies High’ is a mirror for Kimberley kids, outback kids, Aboriginal kids to see faces, communities, landscapes, and storylines similiar to what they are living. To feel validated, understood, seen. To have role models who have achieved what they might dream of.

🪟They show readers a ‘window’ into the lives of others. ‘Ash Flies High’ is a window into the lives of remote outback Aboriginal peoples. So readers can develop understanding, empathy and insight. Because you ‘can’t care about what you can’t see’, or ‘if you don’t know about it, you can’t care about it’. Reading diverse books- including but not limited to ours- helps build an understanding of the complexity, the diversity of different groups of people. We understand strengths and issues from different points of view. And this helps make us informed and empathetic citizens.

🚪They offer ‘doors’ or pathways to similar options or directions to avoid. ‘Ash Flies High’ is a door into a world so different than others around Australia. It can help readers see pathways, and answer their ‘what if’ questions such as- what if I learnt a sport, what if I grew up bush, what if I went to a different school.

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Who’d like to read this book? 

• Readers aged 8-12 who enjoyed Lil Ash series, Patty Mills series, Sam Kerr series, Dylan Alcott series
• Readers who enjoy outback books like Aussie Kids books, My Girragundji, Stolen Girl
• Readers who like books with adventure such as Bored, Yinti series.

Why should teachers teach it?

• Accessible for low literacy readers but lots of opportunities to ‘jump off’ and explore issues raised.
• Lots of teaching points including a new skill or attribute Ash developed each chapter.
• Teacher-author created study resources.
• Opportunity to extend or do a comparison study with the other two books in the series.
• Aligns to the Australian-curriculum version 9 requirement of First Nations created texts, and the cross-curriculum outcome ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures’.
• Books by diverse authors with diverse characters, settings and storylines.
• Real-life role models.
• A great way to introduce the biography text type.

We’d love your support in getting this book out there into the world.

• Recommend to a friend, colleague, librarian, teacher, book reviewer.
• Request the book in your local public library or school library.
• Ask your local bookstore to stock the book on their bookshelves.
• Pre-order this book (and our other upcoming titles).
• Are you a teacher? Order a class set– easy to do with a school invoice or school credit card via bookstores.
• Leave a postive review on GoodReads, Amazon, or other via online bookstore rating systems.
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