Books To Life

It's incredible to see Estee Sarsfield, illustrator of "Being Indy", shortlisted for the CBCA Award for New Illustrator 2026 for her work on this incredible book. We'll be adapting this amazing story for the stage to be enjoyed by primary schools across the country from Term 3 onwards!

The CBCA notable list for the "2026 Picture Book of the Year" has been released, and it is an absolute cracker! Which one do you think Books To Life will bring to life on stage at primary schools across the country? "Tony Bones" Appleby B.Ed, creator of the show, will be personally touring the performance nationally from Term 3 to celebrate CBCA Book Week 2026. Be quick to secure your primary school a date before they're all gone!

Great recognition of this amazing book!!

Stuff, stuff and more STUFF! From tossing apples after one bite to long showers, General Waste is all about excess. But when the mountain of his own “stuff” gets too big, Gram-Gram’s simple, thrifty ways show him another path. Both funny and thought provoking, 'General Waste' invites readers to reflect on the simpler joys of life. This engaging read has been shortlisted for the 2025 Environment Award for Children’s Literature. 🌱🙌 ♻️ Ready to spark conversations about waste and sustainability with little readers? 📚 Discover General Waste by Michel Streich and other titles shortlisted for the Karajia and Environment Awards for Children's Literature at eacl.org.au #EACL #ChildrensBooks #WildernessSociety #sustainability

8,428km of national touring down & plenty to go! We are now halfway through our new Book Week 2025 tour of “General Waste” for Term 3 & our QLD, NSW & ACT tours have been a roaring success, with VIC & SA still to go! Check out a bunch of photos that schools have been uploading to social media on our website at: https://www.bookstolife.com.au/2025-Show/

Here are just a few of the written reviews we’ve received:

"Thanks for a great show!... Positive feedback, and yes, we are keen to book again next year." Belmont State School, Carindale, QLD

"Thank you sooooo much, Tony. Loved every minute of the show... and the positive creative energy you bring." Redeemer Lutheran College, Rochedale, QLD

"Thanks for today... Fantastic. We would love to book again for next year, please." Nemingha PS, NSW

"Hi Tony, I just want to say a big thank you to you and Brendan for visiting our school. The feedback I have received has been fantastic. The kids LOVED it!!... I'm looking forward to hearing about your next project." Scone PS, NSW

"We absolutely LOVED the show, brilliant as per usual! Well done on your hard work to make it happen... Can’t wait to see you again next year!" Scone Grammar School, NSW

"Thanks for your performance. The feedback from both staff and students was that the show was entertaining, enjoyable and educational. The telling question of whether we should book your show again received an overwhelmingly positive response, so please keep in contact with our school and consider us on your next tour." St Brigid's CPS, Coonamble, NSW

"Thank you so much for a wonderful, engaging performance today. Our students loved it! We would like to book again with you for 2026." Holy Spirit CPS, North Ryde, NSW

"Thank you for being at our school today. We had (all of our) children attend your performance today, and know you keep them entertained." Melrose Park PS, NSW

"The performance was enjoyed by students and staff alike! Using humour and movement breaks, plus audience participation, really helps to bring books to life! We would love you to come and perform for us again next year." Cathedral CPS, Bathurst, NSW

"(The song) "General Waste" was sung to me multiple times, but it did show the impact you had. All the teachers I spoke to had really positive things to say. I was especially pleased that lots of my older students told me how much they enjoyed your performance. Our year four students were studying the book ("The All New Must Have Orange 430"), which has similar themes to General Waste and were able to use what they had seen to deepen their understanding across a number of texts. One Year 4 teacher was especially enchanted with your show. I have had to order more copies of General Waste. I would love to book you again next year if you are coming back up to Brisbane.” St Mark's School, Inala, QLD

"What a treat today! The incredible Tony Bones, Books to Life performer, brought the book General Waste to life in the most interactive and entertaining way! 🗑️🎭 Through energetic storytelling, clever characters, and laugh-out-loud moments, we explored the themes of waste, responsibility, and making better choices for our planet 🌍💚 Huge thanks to Books to Life for an unforgettable experience!” Toronto PS, NSW

"Students were treated to a fun and lively performance of General Waste, a 2025 CBCA Notable Book, brought to life by Tony from Books To Life. With music, dance, and student participation, the story leapt off the page in the most entertaining way!” Cathedral PS, Bathurst, NSW

"Our students thoroughly enjoyed the performance of the book 'General Waste’ this week. Thank you to Mrs O’Neil for organising and Tony from the Books to Life performance group for his very funny interpretation.” Holy Spirit CPS, Nth Ryde, NSW

"Our primary students were entertained by the fabulous Tony Bones, who brought the book 'General Waste' to life. General Waste is one of the 2025 CBCA (notable) listed books. Tony's engaging performance had our students singing, dancing and learning about how to reuse resources instead of wasting them!” Lake Cargelligo PS, NSW

"Our Junior School giggled, gasped, and joined in yesterday as General Waste leapt off the page and onto the stage thanks to the talented crew from Books To Life. From monster trucks to mountains of “stuff,” General Waste had us laughing and reflecting on how we use (and waste!) the things in our lives. Gram-Gram’s message? Joy often comes from the simple things. 💛 Thank you, Books To Life, for such an interactive, memorable performance for our students!” Hunter Valley GS, NSW

"St Nicholas of Myra students were treated to a performance by Tony Bones, bringing Books to life with an engaging and interactive representation of General Waste by Michel Streich. The students laughed and enjoyed themselves whilst learning that we can reuse and recycle many things to help look after our environment.” St Nicholas of Myra PS, Penrith.

"This morning we had Books to Life visit us, performing ‘General Waste’ by Michel Streich ♻️🌏🌱 The students enjoyed the show, with interactive songs & learning more about how great it is to reduce, reuse & recycle. Tony Bones & Books To Life have been on the road for one week, with ten more up their sleeves. We are so lucky to have had them visit us & share this adaptation 🍃🌟📖" St Brigid's CPS, Coonamble, NSW

"The 'Books to Life' show delighted students with its vibrant performance, incorporating song, dance, puppets, and extensive props. 🕺😅 Both entertaining and educational, the production showcased General Waste's transformation, as Gram Gram taught him valuable lessons on minimising waste." Medowie PS, NSW

"What an amazing performance — thank you so much! The students were raving about it for days afterwards, and I even had parents mentioning how much they’d heard about it from their kids… We would absolutely love to book you again for 2026.” Chipping Norton PS, NSW

"Thank you again for your amazing performance.” McAuley CPS, Rose Bay, NSW

"Thank you for the show. It was amazing, and all the kids and teachers enjoyed it.” St Bishoy C, Mt Druitt, NSW

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For the rest of our Term 3 tour, we still have one date available in VIC, one in SA and one in NSW. Let us know if you’d like to secure one of those dates for your students this term. We also have so much interest in the show re-touring that we are locked in for a return season in Term 2, 2026, so hit us up if you’d like your students to experience “General Waste” in 2026! Check out the show at https://www.bookstolife.com.au/2025-Show/