For Lynda, receiving a copy of Finding My Culture was a special moment. It was a chance to see her own culture reflected in the pages of a book, and she couldn’t wait to share it.
She read it at home, shared it with her teacher, presented it to her classmates and proudly chose it as part of her Book Week celebrations. “Lynda will not let go of the book, because it’s about her culture, it makes her smile and she’s so proud to share that with everyone.”
Lynda’s story is a beautiful reminder of the power of representation and the importance of children seeing themselves, their families and their culture reflected in the stories they read.
Helping little minds grow
Through its Impact Project partnership with Raising Literacy Australia, Firefly Children’s Foundation is supporting Shaping Deadly Minds, an initiative helping Aboriginal children and families build early language and literacy skills through culturally meaningful books and resources.
The initiative is delivering 3000 literacy packs featuring books such as Finding My Culture by Aboriginal authors and illustrators, alongside resources encouraging families to yarn, sing, play and share stories together.
7NEWS Adelaide presenters and Firefly champions Rosanna Mangiarelli and Will Goodings joined volunteers at a special packing day in August, helping prepare the literacy packs for distribution to children and families.
For children like Lynda, the impact goes well beyond learning to read. It’s about building confidence, celebrating identity and fostering a lifelong love of stories.
And sometimes, that journey begins with finding a book that feels like it was written just for you.
For children like Lynda, the impact goes well beyond learning to read. It’s about building confidence, celebrating identity and fostering a lifelong love of stories.
Rosanna Mangiarelli and Will Goodings joined Firefly volunteers assembling Shaping Deadly Minds pilot packs for children and families across South Australia.
