New Releases by Jackie French

The fourth book in the best-selling Jackie French historical series that places girls centre stage. Ming Qong is convinced that girls have changed the world throughout history. History's sister, the mysterious Herstory, believes that the more you know about the past, the better you can understand the future. And so she now sends Ming to work as a maid in an isolated English mansion to see a girl change the world in 1829. But which girl? The young mistress of the house is lying in bed, recovering from the measles. Abandoned by her aristocratic mother and family, she may never walk – or even read and write – again. Ming becomes friends with another scullery maid, Hepzibah, who is desperately teaching herself to read and longs to free slaves, as she and her parents had been. But what hope has a scullery maid? From one of Australia's favourite writers comes an inspiring series for all the young people who will, one day, change the world. AWARDS CBCA Notable Book 2025

From bestselling author Jackie French comes a compelling story of murder, mystery, and mutiny on the high seas - and a love so intense it can overcome two different cultures. You never know what the sea will give you ... or what it will take back. When Mair McCrae follows her island tradition and hunts for a husband cast up on the beach, she has no notion that the naked, half-drowned man she rescues is not just Captain Michael Dawson, heir to a major shipping firm, but that he's obsessed by a 'ghost ship' carrying golden cargo. On Big Henry Island women make the decisions and knit the patterns that mark a man as their own. But Big Henry is also a volcano, and threatening to erupt. Yet when Mair agrees to accompany Michael home, she finds that the Australian comfort he promised has a danger just as real: a social system that tries to keep women confined to small roles at the edges of men's lives. And as Michael hunts for the 'Ghost' in his revolutionary new steamship, a string of mysterious deaths upends Mair's new life in Sydney. Who is the murderer, and why is Mair the only one who realises what is happening? PRAISE FOR BECOMING MRS MULBERRY '... a captivating story of personal growth, of generosity in its true sense and ultimately one of courage and hope. Not to be missed.' DARRY FRASER, AUTHOR OF THE FORTHRIGHT WOMAN 'A captivating masterpiece - insightful, humorous and heart wrenching. A total delight.' TEA COOPER, AUTHOR OF THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTOR

Renowned for her historical fiction titles, Jackie French now tells the story of the brilliant and famous evacuation of Gallipoli. Sixteen-year-old Nipper and his Gallipoli mates Lanky, Spud, Bluey and Wallaby Joe are starving, freezing and ill-equipped. By November 1915 they know that that there is more to winning a war than courage. The Gallipoli campaign has been lost. Nipper has played cricket with the Turks in the opposing dugout, dodged rocket fire and rescued desperate and drowning men when the blizzard snow melted. He is one of the few trusted with the secret kept from even most of the officers: how an entire army will vanish from the Peninsula over three impeccably planned nights. Based on first-hand accounts of those extraordinary last weeks of the Gallipoli campaign, this is the fascinating 'lost story' of how 150,000 men – and their horses and equipment – were secretly moved to waiting ships without a single life lost. An unforgettable story told through the eyes of a boy who lied about his age to defend his country.

A special new edition of the much-loved modern classic -- celebrating 20 years of Australia's best-loved wombat, Mothball MondayMorning: Slept. Afternoon: Slept. Evening: Ate.Scratched. Night: Ate. A typical day. Don't be fooled. this wombat leads a very busy and demanding life. She wrestles unknown creatures, runs her own digging business, and most difficult of all - trains her humans. She teaches them when she would like carrots, when she would like oats and when she would like both at the same time. But these humans are slow learners. Find out how one wombat - between scratching, sleeping and eating - manages to fit the difficult job of training humans into her busy schedule. PRAISE FOR DIARY OF A WOMBAT: 'One read and Diary of a Wombat was an instant favourite, as it is with children across the country' - Kids' Book Review

Celebrating the twentieth anniversary, this is the story of Mothball, one of the world's most famous wombats - and where it all began. She is small. She is scared. She is lost. She is a baby wombat who needs a home. She is Mothball, a wombat destined to become famous. This is the (almost) true story of one small wombat who learnt how to train her humans - and inspired the internationally best-selling picture book Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley. AWARDS: Winner - ACT Notable Book Awards 2023

Three women from very different backgrounds, bound by friendship, separated by destiny It was impossible, but in full view of the church, the Governor and wedding guests ... The bride had vanished. Some girls are born to be loved, some are born to be useful. Some girls are born to be bad. Indulged and wealthy Kat Fitzhubert is seemingly 'sold off' in an arranged marriage in a colony across the world. Lady Viola Montefiore is the dark-skinned 'changeling' of a ducal family, kept hidden and then shipped away. Titania Boot is as broad as a carthorse, and as useful. In the turmoil of an Australia in 1853 that reinvents itself from convict colony to a land of gold, one woman forges a business empire. One brews illegal poteen with a bushranger. And the third vanishes on her wedding day in a scandal that will mystify the world. In this magnificent and broad-sweeping saga, Jackie French defies the myth of colonial women as 'merely' wives, servants or whores. Instead portraying them as business women, farmers, bushrangers and brewers of illegal poteen, as well as arbiters of their destiny.

Darek, Zantor, and their friends must save their village in this sixth and final book in the fantastical Dragonling chapter book series! Darek and his beloved dragonling, Zantor, return triumphant to their village from the Mountains of Krad. But when they arrive, they learn things have taken a turn for the worse and their village is now ruled by a ruthless tyrant. To save their home, Darek and Zantor must team up with their friends and family in a fantastical struggle to defend their home—that may just change the world as they know it.

She eats. She sleeps. She scratches. She goes to school... She sleeps. She eats. She scratches - and finds a hole. When Mothball discovers a new hole, it unexpectedly leads her to the local school. the children learn that wombats love carrots and grass, while Mothball learns that lunch boxes contain very few carrots, that sports sheds can be a good place to have a nap, and that when you're brown and round, it's not a good idea to get too close to a ball ... Ages 3 years plus

Drawing on her own family history, this is a story from Jackie French about education in Colonial Australia - and how women once had to fight for their right to it. January 1901 Sharks circle a stranded ship as a young girl and her family stagger from the waves ... Rescued by a Pacific Islander boy named Jamie, Hannah's family begin a new life in Port Harris, which at first seems a paradise for the schoolmaster's daughter. But local fortunes are built on slavery and the whip. As the new Federal Parliament passes the law that will force Pacific Islanders from their homes, Hannah and her mother risk everything to run a secret school, while Hannah and Jamie must fight for their rights to education and equality. Can friendship and love win against prejudice and power? Inspired by real events, this powerful new novel brings to life the bravery and battles of the past, and gives us courage for the challenges of today. AWARDS Longlisted - Book Links Children's Historical Fiction Award

Paris, Christmas Eve, 1933 For once it was an accident. Violette did not mean to kill St Nicholas. But there he was, with blood on the cobblestones, and a family waiting for the Christmas Eve miracle that would never come. And her own family expecting her to eat Christmas goose tomorrow at Shillings Hall in England. Violette Jones had led a life of melodrama since being born in the middle of a war to an espionage agent. But even she had never had to face a bloodied St Nicholas, and somehow conjure three miracles for Christmas. Another story for the many fans of the Miss Lily series.

Darek must rescue Zantor and Pola from the dangerous mists of Krad in this fifth book in the fantastical Dragonling chapter book series! When Darek’s beloved dragonling, Zantor, and Darek’s best friend, Pola, disappear into the mists of Krad, everyone assumes they’re gone for good. But Darek just knows that Zantor and Pola are alive. He can hear the dragonling’s cries for help, deep inside his own head. And much to his surprise, Rowena—the cause of all the trouble—hears them, too. Together Darek and Rowena sneak into Krad to rescue their friends. But they soon find that Krad is even more dangerous than they’d feared. So dangerous that it may be impossible to save anyone, even themselves…

'A wonderful read for anyone whether they are discovering A Midsummer Night's Dream for the first time or revisiting the classic tale.' - Books+Publishing, four stars Titania rose to her feet. 'What is going on here, Peaseblossom?' she demanded. I bowed to her. 'I apologise, Your Majesty. But I'd rather be known as Pete.' 'Pete?' She frowned. 'That's no name for a fairy.' 'No, it isn't,' I said, meeting her eyes. At court, he's known as Peaseblossom, a servant to the Fairy Queen. But as Pete, he prefers pizza to sugarplums and denim to daffodils. He wants to choose his own life too. But how can he when a fairy's sole duty is to obey the all-powerful Queen Titania? This is Shakespeare's popular and delightful comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream with an added army of Amazons, a sea serpent and a selkie called Gaela, who luckily for Pete makes the best pizza in the world. It is also a story of the intrigues of the Fairy Court, of vampire plots to dominate the world and of impossible loves that might just come true. Not by enchantment, but when two hearts thread together, making a magic of their own. PRAISE 'By melding the old and the new, French cleverly raises questions about free will and the abuse of power ... A wonderful read for anyone whether they are discovering A Midsummer's Night Dream for the first time or revisiting the classic tale.' - Books+Publishing, four stars 'Jackie French enriches Shakespeare's plot with well-rounded characters, convincing additional people and interesting back stories ... an absorbing novel' -- Magpies magazine on Third Witch 'The tenderness and beauty French injects into the text is mesmerising ... Evocative scenes, tangible smells and sounds combine to immerse the reader in a carefully designed plot that both stays true to the classic play, and also uncomplicates things for the younger reader' -- Kids' Book Review on I am Juliet

NEW REVISED EDITION TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST MOON LANDING Who were the Honeysuckle Creek mob? And how did they assist the first moon landing? When man took the first step on the moon it was a bunch of Australian technicians who tracked the spacecraft and sent the first television pictures to the world. No, not at Parkes - the movie 'The Dish' got it wrong. They were from Honeysuckle Creek in the ACT. This is their story, told by Bryan Sullivan, one of the technicians on duty at the time, and his wife, children's author Jackie French. And to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first manned Moon landing, Bryan and Jackie have revisited this book to reflect on the enormous strides that technology has made since this book was first published in 2004. Winner of the 2005 CBC Eve Pownall Award for Information Books in 2005, To the Moon and Back includes information about the space program and the birth of the internet, as well as supplying the answers to questions such as: How do you go to the toilet in a spacecraft? Have the astronauts ever seen an alien? What made the moon? Can I have a holiday in space? PRAISE '... fascinating insights into the part that the Australians played in getting the astronauts to the moon and back.' -- Bestselling author, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

A SWASHBUCKLING ADVENTURE FROM AUSTRALIA'S CHILDREN'S LAUREATE CAN YOU STILL LOVE YOUR FATHER, NO MATTER WHAT HIS CRIMES ARE? Twelve-year-old Ben Huntsmore is the son of a shipowner, an only child who loves the farming life on his mother's family estate, Badger's Hill. But when Ben's father loses their ancestral home in 1809 as payment for a gambling debt, Ben reluctantly joins him in a desperate venture to win it back, capturing enemy trading ships off the west Australian coast. While at sea, Ben must face not just the giant waves of the Southern Ocean but also the guns of a Dutch ship, along with unexpected treachery. And only the friendships of the mysterious convict Higgins and the young Indigenous sailor Guwara will help Ben survive, as well as show him the true meaning of loyalty and riches. From renowned children's author Jackie French comes a book filled with swashbuckling adventures and which uncovers Australia's hidden history as a pirate port and slavers' den. PRAISE FOR NANBERRY: BLACK BROTHER WHITE 'For really, really good Australian young-adult (and middle-grade) historical fiction, Jackie French has always been a winner ... With Nanberry: Black Brother White she delivers an excellent fictionalised account of the First Fleet's settlement at Sydney Cove ... a powerful novel' -- Australian Bookseller & Publisher, 5 stars 'She is one of few masters who can embed historic characters in rattling good tales, and her meticulous research is seamlessly inserted so that you live the detail rather than learn it. Even if you are not into history, Nanberry will hook you in ... Irresistible for history buffs of any age' -- Good Reading Magazine, 5 stars 'I've been telling all my friends to read this book, and to give it to their kids to read. It's absolutely engrossing' -- Herald Sun AWARDS FOR PIRATE BOY OF SYDNEY TOWN Shortlisted - NSW Premier's History Awards (Young People's History Prize)

Bestselling Mothball is back -- with birthday cake! (Carrot, of course.) She eats, she sleeps, she scratches. But today it's Mothball's birthday and it's time to celebrate! Created by author Jackie French and illustrator Bruce Whatley, Happy Birthday Wombat is a very funny picture book about enjoying a special day -- as seen through the eyes of the world's most famous wombat. PRAISE FOR DIARY OF A WOMBAT AND OTHER BOOKS STARRING MOTHBALL 'French and Whatley have conjured an affectionate, believable wombat self-portrait' -- The New York Times Book Review 'I absolutely love the tone of Mothball's diary entries -- the dry brevity and classic wombat behaviour that's made this gorgeous creature an Aussie literary treasure. Whatley's divinely funny illustrations yet again make for an all-rounder of a book that will loosen smiles on readers of any age' -- Kids' Book Review

Darek searches deep into Krad to find Zantor and Pola in this fourth book in the fantastical Dragonling chapter book series! When Darek’s beloved dragonling, Zantor, and Darek’s best friend, Pola, disappear into the mists of Krad, they are assumed dead. But Darek knows Zantor and Pola are alive. He can hear the dragonling’s cries for help, deep inside his own head. And much to his surprise, Rowena—the cause of all the trouble—hears them, too. Together they sneak into Krad to rescue their friends. But they soon find Krad is even more dangerous than they’d feared. So dangerous that it may be impossible to save anyone, even themselves…

Darek and Zantor work together to stop the kidnapping of another baby dragon in this third book in the fantastical Dragonling chapter book series! Now that the villagers have finally accepted Darek’s dragonling, Zantor, they’ve all fallen in love with him. Especially Rowena, the spoiled daughter of the Chief Elder—so much so that she wants the dragonling for her very own. But Darek can’t give him up! He and Zantor are so close that he can almost get inside the little dragon’s mind. So the Chief Elder orders Darek’s father to find another dragonling. Even though a dragon mother will have to die—along with some villagers, too. Darek can’t let that happen. But how can he stop them…unless he joins the dragon quest?

This story is equal parts Downton Abbey and Wartime Action, with enough romance and intrigue to make it 100% not-put-down-able.' - Australian Women's Weekly on Miss Lily's Lovely Ladies Paris,Christmas 1914 Despite her love for Huw, Elspeth will not give up her espionage work while World War One rages. She will wear his ring around her neck, and marry him when the war is over. But a pregnant unmarried woman cannot, officially, work either. Sent on a secret mission into occupied Belgium, and unable to contact Huw, Elspeth begins to realise she is risking not just herself, but also her unborn baby. As danger escalates, will there ever be a joyous Christmas for Elspeth, Huw and their child? For those who love the Miss Lily series, this is a story about the 'army of women' who played such a major role in World War One, but were left out of official histories. It is also a story of a love so strong it will survive until the chance to bloom again.

Darek and Zantor work to convince everyone that dragons and humans can get along in this second book in the fantastical Dragonling chapter book series! Ever since Darek saved Zantor the dragonling, they’ve been inseparable. Darek is the only family Zantor has ever known. But now Darek is bringing Zantor home from the Valley of the Dragons, and the villagers are up in arms! He and his brother Clep are called traitors. Their best friends are turning against them. Even Darek’s father has been threatened for allowing the enemy in their midst. How can Darek prove that dragons are good neighbors to the villagers?

The new title in the critically acclaimed series that explores Australia's early Colonial secret history In1798 orphaned Barney Bean now has a flourishing farm in the New SouthWales colony and everything he ever dreamed of ... except his childhood friendElsie. Butwhen Elsie falls ill and Barney rushes to be by her side, he finally learns thedeadly secret she has been hiding. Who is this strange and beautiful girl who will not speak? And could Franceever attack the isolated colony? Written byaward-winning author Jackie French and superbly illustrated by Mark Wilson,this fourth book in The Secret Histories series explores extraordinary anduntold stories from Australia's past, including the female French botanistwho could only work disguised as a man, French and Englishspies, and wars between two empires that threatened even a far-off colony.

A searing story of passion, betrayal, battles and love, this is Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' stripped of superstition, and its power and beauty refined into fewer words where good balances the evil and there is a happy ending - for some. Following on from OPHELIA, QUEEN OF DENMARK and I AM JULIET, this is the third title in the series for young people that focuses on the reinterpretation of Shakespeare's classic and enduring plays. 'I didn't mean to do it'. Annie is not a witch, but when her mistress Lady Macbeth calls for a potion to 'stiffen Macbeth's sinews', Annie is caught up in plots that lead to murder, kingship and betrayal. Annie must also not only choose between Rab the Blacksmith and Murdoch, Thane of Greymouth, but discover where her loyalty lies. Ages: 10+

'A COMPELLING, BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED NOVEL FOR YOUNG READERS' -- Daily Telegraph This is the story of Johannes, and Frau Timmins, and the strange girl now known as 'Helga'. It is also the story of how they survived the death camps, the vast wilderness faced by refugees in World War II, and eventually found happiness in Australia. This moving and compelling book follows on the award-winning and bestselling Hitler's Daughter and Pennies for Hitler, and shows us that evil must be fought. But once you've won, the hardest and most necessary battle is to understand and forgive. And to learn how to live and love again. MORE PRAISE FOR GOODBYE, MR HITLER 'Reading about [the holocaust] can be depressing, but not in this compelling, beautifully crafted, novel for young readers. Here author Jackie French looks at what the Holocaust can teach us about hope. How people in internment camps survived, what motivated them to live in a world where people could be so terrible to each other. -- Daily Telegraph

A delightful and entertaining peek into the life of one very busy wombat! Ages: 3-7 Monday Morning: Slept. Afternoon: Slept. Evening: Ate. Scratched. Night: Ate. A typical day. Don't be fooled. this wombat leads a very busy and demanding life. She wrestles unknown creatures, runs her own digging business, and most difficult of all - trains her humans. She teaches them when she would like carrots, when she would like oats and when she would like both at the same time. But these humans are slow learners. Find out how one wombat - between scratching, sleeping and eating - manages to fit the difficult job of training humans into her busy schedule.

The much-loved sequel to the bestselling DIARY OF A WOMBAT He sleeps. He eats. He gets bored. He creates havoc wherever he goes! He's Mothball's baby - and he's even cuter, naughtier and more determined than his mum. Created by writer Jackie French and illustrator Bruce Whatley, the award-winning duo of the international bestseller Diary of a Wombat.

'French knows how to conjure [an] imagined past, full of detail about how people lived during particular periods and within particular cultures' -- Viewpoint Martin lives in the city with his mum. He's come to walk the boundaries of the farm that's been in his family for generations. It sounds easy, especially as he'll own the land when he gets back. Martin's great-grandfather, Ted, doesn't even want him to walk around the farm's fences, just up the gorge and along the hills. But up in the gorge Martin meets Meg from almost a century ago and Wullamudulla from thousands of years in the past. Despite their differences they discover that they're all on the same journey ... and that walking the boundaries means more than following lines on a map. PRAISE FOR NANBERRY: BLACK BROTHER WHITE 'For really, really good Australian young-adult (and middle-grade) historical fiction, Jackie French has always been a winner ... With Nanberry: Black Brother White she delivers an excellent fictionalised account of the First Fleet's settlement at Sydney Cove ... a powerful novel' -- Australian Bookseller & Publisher, 5 stars 'She is one of few masters who can embed historic characters in rattling good tales, and her meticulous research is seamlessly inserted so that you live the detail rather than learn it. Even if you are not into history, Nanberry will hook you in ... Irresistible for history buffs of any age' -- Good Reading Magazine, 5 stars 'I've been telling all my friends to read this book, and to give it to their kids to read. It's absolutely engrossing' -- Herald Sun

The school sports day is on and Mothball wombat is competing! She eats. She sleeps. She scratches. But can this wombat win? From the award-winning, bestselling creators of Diary of a Wombat. This is a book about a wombat ... winning. Yes, Mothball has become an athlete, albeit a little accidentally. In her never-ending quest for carrots Mothball stumbles upon the children at the local school competing in the school sports. And despite her somewhat limiting physique and lack of training, Mothball manages to go home with a gold medal. Why puff and pant when you can eat, sleep and scratch? PRAISE 'A great addition to any first reader's library and a book to be savoured many times, alone or in shared reading. Highly Recommended.' -- Reading Time

Following on from I AM JULIET (August 2014), this is the second title in a new series for young people that focuses on the reinterpretation of Shakespeare's classic and enduring plays. Ages: 10+ She is the girl who will be queen: Ophelia, daughter of Denmarks lord chancellor and loved by Prince Hamlet. But while Hamlets family stab, poison or haunt one another, Ophelia plans a sensible rule, one filled with justice and the making of delicious cheeses. Even if she has to pretend to be mad to make it happen, Ophelia will let nothing, not even howling ghosts, stand in her way. This is Shakespeares play, but with what might also have happened behind the scenes. And this story has a happy ending. From Jackie French, one of Australias most respected and awarded authors and the Australian Childrens Laureate and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year, comes a book that reimagines the life of one of Shakespeares most intriguing female characters. Praise for I am Juliet: The captivating storyline and well-developed characters will make it popular with high school-aged readers. Magpies

ANZAC Day seen through the eyes of generations of Australians. Ages: 7-12 Anzac Day is the day when we remember and honour Anzac traditions down the ages, from the first faltering march of wounded veterans in 1916 to the ever increasing numbers of their descendants who march today. Containing reference to the many places the ANZACs have fought, and the various ways in which they keep the peace and support the civilians in war-torn parts of the world today, this is a picture book that looks not only at traditions, but also the effects of war.

From Australia's Children's Laureate comes a delightful collection of stories about horses and unicorns. Take a journey through the ages and around the world - from ancient Greece, to the time of Genghis Khan to Arthurian England and then to outback Australia in the 1950s. Each story weaves the fantastic into the commonplace or focuses on the special relationship that exists between humans and horses. Some stories are based on true stories, some on fantasy, all are brimming with heart-warming magic and adventure.