READING GUIDE
by Colin Thiele · Ninety Mile Beach Edition
Storm Boy is a gentle, classic Australian story set along the wild Coorong coast of South Australia, where the Ninety Mile Beach meets a quiet lagoon. A boy and his father live simply by the water, and the boy's life changes when he befriends three pelicans. Colin Thiele's lyrical writing brings the landscape, the wildlife, and the boy's quiet courage vividly to life.
This book invites children to think about kindness, responsibility, and what it means to care for the natural world. Its spare, beautiful prose and emotional depth make it a rewarding read that stays with children long after the last page. It is also a wonderful introduction to Australian literature and coastal environments.
The beach curves away south as far as the eye can follow — ninety miles of white sand between the Southern Ocean and the long, shallow lagoon. Gulls wheel above the tideline, and somewhere out on the water a pelican is diving for fish.
A sandy track winds between marram grass and low dunes, the roar of the surf on one side and the quiet of the Coorong on the other. The wind writes patterns in the sand and rubs them out again.
A rough shelter of driftwood and corrugated iron stands in the lee of the dunes, home to a man and a boy who want little from the world. Fish hangs drying in the sea air, and the lamp is kept ready for stormy nights.
Here is the kind of thinking Storm Boy asks for — drawn from the actual quiz:
Storm Boy's real name is Mike.
His father calls him Mike; Storm Boy is the name others use.
What is Storm Boy's father nicknamed?
He is called Hideaway Tom because he lives apart from the world.
Who helps Storm Boy raise the orphaned pelicans?
Fingerbone Bill shares his knowledge and helps with the chicks.
How does Storm Boy's relationship with his father shape the way he sees the world?
What do the pelicans mean to Storm Boy, and why does he care for them so deeply?
The story is set in a wild, remote place. How does the landscape affect the characters' lives?
What choices does Storm Boy make that show courage or kindness?
How do the people in the story treat the natural environment, and what can we learn from them?
If you could spend a day in Storm Boy's world, what would you want to do or see?
Answer fast, earn coins, and follow your student journey through Storm Boy.
Play Storm Boy