Primary teacher, published author, and passionate advocate for children’s literacy, I’m dedicated to helping young readers discover the magic of words. My work is driven by a belief that stories build curiosity and lifelong learners.
I hold a Bachelor of Education from Charles Darwin University and have completed more than 40 additional certifications and courses through leading international universities and educational institutions, including King’s College London, University College London, Coventry University, the University of Lincoln and Deakin University. My additional study spans humanitarianism, psychology, literature, diplomacy, leadership, global education, philosophy, strategic innovation, complex trauma in education and child protection.
My name is Poppy Yayakos, and I am a 23 year old Australian primary school teacher, published children’s author and children’s literacy philanthropist committed to improving access to books and literacy opportunities for children and families in my community and across the world.
I began my teaching career at 19, entering the classroom before completing my university degree, an achievement recognised by Charles Darwin University through this profile.
Alongside teaching and authorship, I have developed a range of local and international literacy initiatives focused on increasing access to books, supporting families and empowering young readers and writers.
I have collected and distributed more than 2,000 books throughout the Northern Territory, donating to schools, libraries, charities, community organisations, childcare centres, businesses and families. Through my volunteer work with Reading Out Of Poverty, I have supported the establishment of community libraries in carefully identified locations where access to books may be limited, helping direct resources towards communities and families who are most likely to experience barriers to literacy. By placing books within existing community spaces, these libraries create ongoing, local access to reading materials for children and families who need them most.
I also established Little Libraries: curated book packs designed to help families establish or grow a home library. I have created packs for First Nations families participating in Families as First Teachers program, families supported by CAAPS Aboriginal Corporation, and young families & homeless supported by Anglicare NT.
At my school, I founded a Young Authors Club, guiding primary students from developing their own stories through to publication. Their work was compiled into our own school book, giving students the opportunity to become published authors and amplify young voices.
I created Mrs Poppy’s Reading Tips, a fortnightly literacy resource shared through school newsletters and reaching approximately 1,100 families. I also provide complimentary literacy resources, including my Early Reading Talk, to make practical reading support accessible to educators and families.
I have developed and delivered free literacy workshops for parents, providing evidence-based strategies to support reading at home. Anonymous participant feedback recorded a 100% positive response, with all participating parents reporting that they found the workshop useful and intended to implement the strategies.
I have volunteered as a judge for the 2026 Young Territory Author Awards and delivered author signings and family Story Time events through organisations including City of Darwin Libraries, Dripstone Children’s Centre and Bunnings, collectively reaching over 300 early learners and their families.
I have collaborated with Territory Together to develop a literacy workshop for parents of children with additional needs and helped develop and donate reading resources to Henbury School.
I have contributed guest articles to education platforms, including the International Teacher Magazine, sharing practical literacy strategies with teachers and families.
As a published author of three children’s books, I also use my authorship to support literacy access internationally. I donated my second book to the Sun Books Global Children’s Library, enabling children worldwide to access the story free of charge, including through translations in more than 130 languages.
Through my social media platform I reach tens of thousands of people sharing literacy advice, promoting children’s books, encouraging family reading and supporting literacy organisations and fundraising campaigns, including Reading Out Of Poverty and the World Literacy Foundation.
As an Ambassador for the World Literacy Foundation, I have supported school outreach, youth mentoring through the Youth Ambassador Program, program content review, educational and promotional video creation, and global literacy campaigns.
My work has been recognised through the Northern Territory Young Achiever Awards and Charles Darwin University Alumni Awards, and featured in The Greek Herald.
I have also spoken at a Greek Australian International Women’s Day event as a youth speaker, served as the Graduate Speaker for my Charles Darwin University graduating class, and returned to the university as a featured alumnus to speak about my literacy work.
My work is centred on one goal: putting more books into the hands of children, empowering young voices and creating lifelong readers. I am committed to continuing this work across Australia and internationally through teaching, philanthropy, authorship and literacy advocacy.
Discover my latest strategies to inspire children's love for reading.
Reading is one of the most powerful tools a child can have. It strengthens their imagination, builds language and communication skills, and opens doors to new worlds, ideas, and possibilities. Through reading, children learn to think critically, understand different perspectives, and develop empathy. Reading supports rich verbal interaction with adults that is proven to be critical for a child's success at school, (Fernald & Weisleder, 2015). It also supports success in every academic subject, with students who reading for fun daily showing higher scores in reading tests than those who do not, (Sullivan et al., 2007), giving them the confidence to explore and grow. Most importantly, reading nurtures curiosity; a spark that can inspire a lifelong love of learning.
Children who struggle to read are at risk of becoming adults with poor literacy, and adults with low literacy skills are more than twice as likely to be unemployed compared with those with stronger literacy skills (OECD, 2016). According to UNESCO, (n.d.), high literacy rates in early childhood not only link to better outcomes in education, but also in health and employment.
According to the World Literacy Foundation (2016), illiteracy costs the global economy trillions of dollars each year, including lost earnings, increased dependence on social welfare and higher unemployment rates. Illiteracy limits individuals' opportunities, affecting both them and their families.
There are more than 739 million adults worldwide who cannot read or write, and around two-thirds of them are women (UNESCO, 2025).
Learn more about the facts of children's literacy in the key findings of the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report.
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