Why good reading matters deeply

As a small, tight-knit crew who started with a little project and a big dream we are so excited to share the Saint Francis Book Club with schools and homes across Australia.

We’re passionate about getting great literature into the hands of children and families and we believe it’s vital to foster a love of reading from an early age.

The benefits of reading are widely known

We’ve seen the research: reading to children as young as 4 can have significant advantages to their schooling outcomes, regardless of their family background or socio-economic status. In terms of development, we know reading can help build language development; it can improve cognitive development, particularly increasing skills such as memory and attention; it also has a role in social development building skills like empathy. Reading can also make our children more imaginative and better problem-solvers. So, does it really matter what they are reading?

Reading Good Literature Is Important

We love books, but lately it’s become harder to ignore how saturated the market has become. There’s so much content out there, including books with confusing, conflicting, and at times even harmful messages. It can be difficult to know exactly what our children are being exposed to. And make no mistake: the content they read and watch truly matters.

Psychologist and professor Albert Bandura’s widely recognised social learning theory, shows us that children learn through observation; by watching others, absorbing the behaviours modelled to them, and then imitating these behaviours, attitudes, and emotions. Further research on Bandura’s learning theory has shown that readers can learn from the actions and consequences of the characters in their stories.

In short: the quality of the books our children read matters deeply

That’s why we created The Saint Francis Book Club; a place where every book is hand-picked to tell a meaningful story while also fostering strong values. Our goal is to help form children of character through captivating, value-rich literature that reflects the heart of our faith.

We hope you can discover a trusted collection of books that inspire, uplift, and shape young hearts and minds for the better.

Join us and move forward in confidence to share great stories with your children and students.