A program aimed at improving the literacy standards of young Aboriginal people has been launched in Sydney, with a series of school reading books written by Aboriginal people to be distributed throughout New South Wales schools.

The 11 Indij Readers books, written for both young and older students, are designed to promote early literacy skills, telling contemporary stories presenting positive images of Aboriginal society.

Project coordinator Anita Heiss says 10 years of work has gone into producing the school readers.

"Lots of consultation with elders, with the New South Wales Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, in and out of New South Wales schools, working with school children, authors and illustrators, to develop the first 11 books in the series," she said.

"Half the series is for 'little fellas', as we say, and the other half is 'big fellas', so there's the various levels of literacy development."