About Us

Key Publications was founded by Judy Frost more than twenty years ago. Judy is an Australian teacher who once worked in London for the publishing firm, Marshall Cavendish. She enjoyed her time working for them during which, among other duties, she promoted their books throughout the British Isles. Her time with them was short-lived as she had booked travel to Europe, after which she had to return to her teaching career in Australia. When she visited her fellow employees at Marshall Cavendish for a final goodbye after returning from Europe, she was offered the job on a permanent basis. Teaching called, however, but her experience with publishing remained with her and became a WHAT IF… moment in her life.

Many years later, when she had left Education Queensland in favour of setting up her own teaching practice, she began to write her first book, Now Read This. She had a history of publishing magazines in schools where she had taught. It gave her the opportunity to work with more advanced students and to extend their skills and her own in this well-remembered field. It seemed only natural to begin a publishing business for herself in order to publish her own books about her favourite topic: the teaching and learning of reading and writing.

About our Authors

Judy Frost

Judy is both a teacher and an avid learner. She has been a classroom teacher, a trained remedial teacher and a private practitioner in her own private practice. For the greater part of her life, she has worked closely with students who experience difficulty with learning. Even when she was a school child herself, she was often asked by her teachers to help her fellow classmates who were struggling with learning; particularly with how to read and write.

Judy knows, in order to help children, we must quickly guide them to success. They are usually frustrated and, in some cases, convinced, that this kind of learning isn’t for them. They often, at this point, learn bad behaviours in order to avoid the learning that is causing them so much sorrow. Over many years working with such children, older learners and adults, she has developed her techniques TAPPS and CODES that do lead her students quickly to the success with reading, writing and learning they crave.

She has always taught in the one-to-one situation in her own teaching practice which has given her great insight into how individual people learn. She has worked closely with the parents of her students, teaching them her techniques so they can use them at home. She has spent quite a few years turning her experience with teaching and learning and the techniques she has developed into her books: NOW READ THIS, NOW WRITE THIS and WHICH WORD IS WITCH? so they are available for everyone. 

 Judy has travelled extensively throughout the world. One of her travel highlights was to the USA where she had been invited to speak about her work. She gladly accepted the invitation. Her knowledge and experience in the field of children, parents and learning were well-received.

She has always been interested in art and craft. She has been a potter and does some jewellery making and design. She is a self-taught watercolour/acrylic artist and has sold and done commissioned paintings. (See SHOP Original Artwork to see some of Judy’s art or to purchase prints.) She has even learned how to fly a plane. 

She is also interested in photography. In all of these pursuits, she realises the important role literacy and numeracy play in her life. She is passionate about ensuring all people who can, regardless of their ability or age, possess these vital life skills too.

Judy is the founder and owner of Key Publications.

Jack Short

Jack Short (1913-2000) was born on the Atherton Tableland, Queensland, Australia. He was the youngest of five children. His parents were pioneers from New South Wales who went to far North Queensland and helped open this new area for farming. From a young age, Jack learned how to fell trees, clear land, milk cows, ride horses, shoot, cut cane and tell stories. Jack was educated at the small bush school which was located beside the farm where he was born and where he grew up. He got to know his teachers well because most of them boarded with his family. Jack valued his education. Although he left school at the age of fourteen, he learned how to read and write very well. 

Jack died at the tender age of eighty-six, but he lives on in his sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious account of his early life, JACK’S STORY. Jack is Judy Frost’s dad and she and her husband Geoffrey, with the help of Jill, her mum, published the book a few years after Jack had succumbed to cancer. He would be thrilled to know it has been a best-seller, particularly on the Atherton Tableland. It is still available. He would be happy to share his tales with you.