Need a reading list to get you ahead in Year 10 English? You’ve come to the right place!
We’ve created an essential Year 10 reading list ranging from fiction, poetry and films to graphic novels and more to help you grow your knowledge!
Every book you read, or movie you watch, gives you a wonderful opportunity to learn new things, with the added bonus of preparing you for your English assessments!
So, whatâs not to love about reading?
With our diverse year 10 reading list based on NESA’s recommended readings for Year 10 which you can access here, you’re sure to find something that suits your taste and helps you get a head start in Year 10 English!
Let’s dive in!
Fiction
Picture Books and Graphic Novels
Poetry
Film
Non-fiction
Fiction
| Text | Author | About |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Farm | George Orwell | Animals, Stanilist Russia and oppression |
| Every You, Every Me | David Levithan | High school, mystery and photographs |
| Fighting Ruben Wolfe | Markus Zusak | Brotherhood, boxing and identity |
| Graceling | Kristan Cashore | Assassins, romance and magic |
| Great Expectations | Charles Dickens | A boy named Pip, identity and revenge |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Prejudice, family and growing up |
| The Hobbit | J.R.R. Holkien | A hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, adventure and bravery |
| The Hunger Games Trilogy | Suzanne Collins | A dystopian society, survival and growing up |
| Little Women | Louisa May Alcott | Sisterhood, family and life |
| Lord of the Flies | William Golding | A group of boys stranded on a deserted island |
| Northern Lights | Phillip Pullman | Bravery, adventure and fantasy |
| Tomorrow, When the War Began | John Marsden | War, romance and adventure |
Picture Books and Graphic Novels
| Text | Author | About |
|---|---|---|
| The Arrival | Shaun Tan | The immigrant experience in a strange new world |
| Fox | Margaret Wild | The friendship between a dog and a flightless bird |
| Piggybook | Anthony Brown | Pigs, men and gender roles |
| The Red Tree | Shaun Tan | Mental health and a fragmented journey |
| The Watertower | Gary Crew | Two teenagers explore a sinister waterhouse |
Poetry
| Text | Author | About |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Classic Australian Poems | Christopher Cheng | A whole range of Australian poems |
| Against the Tide | Irini Savvides | Swimming, love and loss |
| By the River | Steven Herrick | Growing up in a small town, life and loss |
| Lonesome Howl | Steven Herrick | Self-discovery, wolves and family |
| Jinx | Margaret Wild | Adolescence, growing up and family |
| Shark Girl | Kelly Bingham | Resilience and physical loss |
| Spirit Song: A Collection of Aboriginal Poetry | Lorraine Mafi-Williams | Environmental sustainability and Aboriginal insight |
Film
| Text | Director | About |
|---|---|---|
| Avatar (PG-13) | James Cameron | Aliens, war and environmental sustainability |
| Becoming Jane (PG-13) | Julian Jarold | Jane Austen and love |
| Bend it Like Beckham (PG-13) | Gurinder Chada | Soccer and defying cultural and gender roles |
| Edward Scissorhands (PG) | Tim Burton | A dark, yet moving, tale of a man with scissorhands |
| Gallipoli (PG) | Peter Weir | War, loss and hardship |
| Much Ado About Nothing (PG) | Kenneth Branagh | A film adaptation of Shakespeareâs play âMuch Ado About Nothingâ |
| The King's Speech (M) | Tom Hooper | An English prince with a speech impediment must ascend the throne |
| Princess Mononoke (M) | Hayao Mizaki | A moving story about love and the conflict between man and nature |
| Romeo + Juliet (M) | Baz Luhrmann | A modern-day take on Shakespeareâs Romeo and Juliet (starring young Leonardo DiCaprio!) |
Non-fiction
| Text | Author | About |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Minds (podcast) | Radiolab | Stories of cross-species communication (between animals and man) |
| Fatal Storm | Rob Mundle | The story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race |
| Is That You, Ruthie | Ruth Hegarty | An Aboriginal girl in the 1930s taken away from her family |
| The Matilda Women (play) | Sue Rider | The stories of nine extraordinary Australian women and their lives |
| Tough Stuff | Kirsty Murray | Stories of ordinary kids doing extraordinary things |
We hope this Year 10 Reading List helps you get started on your reading journey! Donât be afraid to give these texts a try â youâll never know just what you might learn.Â
Discover the four main components to acing English in Year 10 in our guide here!
Happy reading!
Need some help choosing which Year 11 English subject to do? Read through our HSC English levels guide!
Looking for some extra help with Year 10 English?
We pride ourselves on our inspirational Year 10 English coaches and mentors!
We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or Hills! Art of Smart also have a fantastic Year 10 English Tutoring Team in Penrith!
To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor get in touch today!Â
Give us a ring on 1300 267 888, email us at [email protected] or check us out on TikTok!
Millicent Tai hopes to one day become a full-time teacher and is currently studying a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science at UNSW. She enjoys tutoring students at Art of Smart in English and Maths and has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. In her spare time, you can find her avidly reading Christian biographies or fishing in Animal Crossing.
