Why Saint Francis?

While all of the saints lived extraordinarily in one way or another, there is a special reason we chose Saint Francis of Assisi as the patron and face of Australia’s First Catholic Schools Book Club. Saint Francis shows us what it means to live a life full of compassion for people and animals, and most importantly, to live a life that helps us grow in faith and virtue.

His life is a powerful example for children who are learning to become kind, empathetic, and faith-filled. From his famous friendship with a wolf, to preaching to birds and fish, to bravely seeking peace with the sultan during the Crusades without a single weapon, and caring for lepers and the poor, Saint Francis’ life reads like a storybook, full of wonder, courage, and charity.

For young readers, Saint Francis shows us that every life can be a beautiful story when it is lived with love and purpose. He reminds us that the stories we read, the lives we live and the world around us can reflect the truth, beauty, and goodness of God.

How does my order benefit my child’s school?

The role of the Saint Francis Book Club is to help strengthen the partnership between parents and schools in the holistic formation of children, particularly in cultivating Christian virtues.

As such, we will return up to 15% of the value of each book purchased to your school via a school credit. Your school can use this credit to invest in educational resources for their students, teachers, classrooms and libraries such as:

• School diaries like the My Faith Diary, Australia’s most popular diary for Catholic primary schools
• Teacher Planners, staff diaries and teaching accessories
• Our character education program, the Building Character and Resilience Program providing teachers with classroom-ready resources on teaching human virtues and good habits
• Teaching and classroom resources for religious education, sacramental preparation and faith formation from leading Catholic publishers worldwide
• Library resources such as engaging Catholic books for children and teens, DVDs and digital media, games and more
• Veritatis Gift Vouchers which your school can gift to parents and staff

Furthermore, members of the Saint Francis Book Club and participating schools will receive access to a periodic newsletter featuring book reviews, discussion prompts and guides, and reading lists designed to help nurture the love for reading and experiencing what is true, good and beautiful.

4 Easy Steps to Order Your Child’s Books!

1. BROWSE: Your school will have a book display of the featured books for each issue in Term 3 2026. Your child can browse, feel and flick through each book and mark the ones they like in the catalogue they will receive.
2. SHOP: Find your child’s selected titles from the catalogue on our website. Shop our full range of over 250 titles and add to your cart as you go.
3. REGISTER: Before you reach the checkout, you will be prompted to register to become a member of the Saint Francis Book Club. Select your child’s school and class from the drop-down menu. If you have multiple children at the school, simply register with one child (e.g. the oldest) who can bring the order home for all your children. Follow the prompts to create your account.
4. ORDER AND PAY: Complete your order and payment online. Orders must be placed before the closing date of 11:59pm on Sunday 6 September 2026. Your child will receive their books at school by the end of Term 3.