Listen & Read
On this site, for each of the books in Series 4-7 and also Series 9, you can listen to a recording of the book. You can also download a copy of each file or the entire series via these links:
[Series 4] [Series 5] [Series 6]
[Series 7] [Series 9]
Many teachers have requested this feature, so that students can listen while they read.
Now we are starting to provide a full collection of the audio files for each series. Hopefully this will make teachers’ workload a bit easier.
Audio Recordings for Series 4
Dentist, The
I have a toothache. I don’t want to go to the dentist. I don’t like the dentist. I put it off. If I wait, maybe the pain will go away.
Ghost, The
Ken didn’t believe in ghosts. But after a night in the “best room” in the house he changed his mind.
Red Dog
Red Dog was a real dog who lived in the Australian outback. He travelled so much, all on his own, that he became famous. This is his story.
Wheels
Nick’s car is gone. So he has to walk home. But when his car comes back it’s not the same!
Can You Read This?
Lana can’t read. She feels stupid. But when she goes to class a lot of things change.
I’m Watching TV
Fred loves his TV. He watches it all the time. But Liz has other plans for Fred and the TV.
Peanuts
Dennis visited his Grandma every week, but Grandma wasn’t very happy about it.
Shut up Steve
Steve likes talking. He talks all day. But when he goes to the shop, Steve is tongue-tied.
Tooth Fairy
Molly liked cleaning and helping people. But maybe she bit off more than she could chew.
Outback Road
The Outback Road is tough. And there are problems on the way. Will Sophie and Emma make it? And what will they do about Ross and Jason?
Audio Recordings for Series 5
Camel Man
In the outback, in 1890, there were no roads or trucks. The camel men brought the things people wanted.
But this time the camels were carrying something special!.
Running with Boats
Question: What do you do when you want to have a boat race but you live in a desert and the only river is dry?
Answer: You have a boat race anyway.
This is a true story.
Fire!
Four friends were playing cards one warm night, when they smelled smoke.
When they went outside, they saw it racing toward them.
FIRE!
On the Goldfields
In 1852 life on the goldfields was hard. And gold was sometimes difficult to find.
But then Eliza came up with a good idea to make some money.
Cyclone Tracy
On Christmas Eve, 1976 a terrible cyclone hit the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory.
It was one Christmas the people of Darwin will never forget.
Would I Lie to You
There are many ways of not telling the exact truth.
But what’s that got to do with having a drink of water?
Phar Lap
He started off as an ugly, clumsy colt, but Phar Lap soon became Australia’s most loved racehorse.
Now, more than eighty years later, people still love Phar Lap.
Read his story.
Simpson and His Donkey
Jack Simpson was a young man who joined the army,
caught a donkey, disobeyed orders and became an Australian legend.
This is his story.
Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly was a famous Australian outlaw. He was hanged more than 120 years ago, on November 11, 1880.
He was only 25 years old when he died.
It was so long ago, and yet people still talk about him today.
Some say he was nothing but a crook. Others say he was a hero.
Read this book and decide what you think.
A Handful of Sand
It started as a struggle for pay and turned into a struggle for land rights.
It took nine long years but finally the Gurindji got their land back. Read how they did it.
Audio Recordings for Series 6
Learning to Swim
Bill said he didn’t want to swim.
He said he wasn’t hot.
But it wasn’t true.
He didn’t know how to swim.
So one day Bill decided to learn
Fortune Teller
Zara Rose is a fortune-teller.
She can see the future.
But even a fortune teller can’t see everything.
Dance Class
Zoe wants to go to the dance class. But Sam wants to get fit. How then do they end up in the same class?
Read the story to find out.
Dream Job
Otis is a working dog,
He has expert skills.
He gets top results,
Not to mention thrills.
Lucky dog!
Drums
Ben wanted to learn to play drums.
His mother didn’t want him to.
She said drums were too noisy.
But Ben had other ideas.
Be Careful
Rob liked cooking. But you have to be careful when you’re cooking. Rob found this out the hard way. He was lucky he had Stella and Angie to help him.
My First Plane Trip
This is my first trip on a plane.
I’m nervous.
It’s all very strange.
And a little bit scary.
Sports Camp
Benny and his friends go on a camp. Benny likes
Evie, but Evie doesn’t even see Benny. One night Benny is looking at the stars and then, quickly, everything changes.
The Doctor's Secret
James Barry was a British doctor.
He was famous for all the good that he did. He was also famous for getting into trouble. He was most famous for the big secret that he hid all his life and tried to take to his grave. Find out how the doctor’s secret shocked the world in 1865.
Turning 40
Luke is about to turn forty. He’s not very happy about it. There are so many things he wants to do before he turns forty.
He makes a list:
“10 THINGS I
WANT TO DO
BEFORE I TURN
40”.
And then he does
them.
Audio Recordings for Series 7
The Drink Machine is Evil
There is a drink machine at work. It never gives me what I want. I hate it. It’s evil!
Late for Work
Luke was always late for work. Then one day things changed.
Spider!
Scott was scared of spiders. He saw one in his bedroom and wanted to kill it. But then his sister stepped in.
Double Trouble
Two cars crash. The drivers blame each other. They are not hurt, but the crash will change their lives.
Lost
My friend and I went to Sydney. We’d never been there before. We hired a car. The GPS was broken. Guess what happened?
Whale Watching
Tim and Leo were going to see whales. But then they had a problem, with bananas and bad luck.
Dancer
Suzanne always wanted to be a dancer. Her parents told her to study hard and get a good job. She did. But she wasn’t happy. She still wanted to be a dancer.
Rescue
Meg has a cat called Tiger. Tiger likes to climb. One day Tiger climbs too high, and Meg goes to the rescue. But who will rescue Meg? Then who will rescue the rescuers?
Dog Gone
Greg loved his dog Diggy. He took Diggy everywhere. Then one day something strange happened. One minute Diggy was there, the next minute she was gone. What happened?
Scary Story
John liked to tell his sisters scary stories. His sisters didn’t like it. That didn’t stop John. He liked scaring them. Then something happened that changed everything.
Audio Recordings for Series 9
Bank Hold-Up
I went to the bank to get some money.
While I was waiting, robbers came.
They had guns.
I was scared stiff.
Helpful Harry
Nobody wants Harry’s help.
But when he finds someone to help it is the wrong person.
Blood
Tom saw blood on the ground.
He was worried.
But it was only blood from cat’s meat. Or was it?
Car Thieves
Con and Andy were car thieves.
They stole cars to order.
Easy money, they thought.
Until one day they stole the wrong car.
Internet Scam
Ned got an email that promised to make him rich.
“Too good to be true,” his daughter told him.
“It’s a scam, Dad.”
The internet is full of scams.
Black Market Bargain
Don’t you love finding a bargain at a market?
Especially at a ‘black’ market.
Gino and Mario get a nasty surprise when they go bargain hunting.
Catnapped
Jane and Cindy were broke.
They came up with a plan.
Steal an old lady’s cat and get a reward.
But things didn’t go quite to plan.
Strong Sam
Sam didn’t like gyms. So he found another way to get strong.
Burglary, The
Reg and Emma’s house was burgled.
A few things were stolen.
But Reg decided to claim more in his insurance.
Big mistake.
Train Surfing
My friends and I used to play on the trains.
It’s called train surfing.
It was dangerous and at first I loved it.
Then I changed my mind.