Best Selling Books by Jackie French

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

Harry and Cissie live 150 years apart. What is the mystery that links them? there was a light in the corner of the chook-house, just below the perches. It was bright and strangely piercing, like a bit of sun had wandered in by mistake. Who is the girl through the hole in the chook-house? Is it a hole in time? And how can you help someone who lived more than 150 years ago䇡rry dreads leaving the farm to go to boarding school next year. Cissie is an orphaned girl living with the soldiers at the garrison 150 years ago. Something more powerful than time has drawn them both together. Ages 10+

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.

This adorable buggy book is perfect for little ones to enjoy. Ages: 0-3 He''s cute. He''s fluffy. He''s naughty. He''s Mothball''s son and he is having one very busy day

Ghostly story. 8 yrs+

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, Baby Wombat′s Week is an irresistible new picture book by the award-winning duo of the international bestseller Diary of a Wombat.

Winner of the CBCA Book of the Year for Young Readers Did Hitler''s daughter, Heidi, really exist? - What if she did? The bombs were falling and the smoke rising from the concentration camps, but all Hitler''s daughter knew was the world of lessons with Fraulein Gelber and the hedgehogs she rescued from the cold. Was it just a story or did Hitler''s daughter really exist? And i you were Hitler''s daughter, would all the horror that occurred be your fault, too? Do things that happened a long time ago still matter? MORE ACCLAIM FOR HITLER''S DAUGHTER First published in 1999, Hitler''s Daughter has sold over 100,000 copies in Australia alone and has received great critical acclaim, both in Australia and the twelve counties where it has been published. Hitler''s Daughter has also won or been shortlisted for 23 awards, both in Australia and internationally, including winner of the 2000 Children''s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for Younger Readers. Hitler''s Daughter has also been adapted into an award-winning play by the MonkeyBaa theatre.

At first his whole world had been the pouch; the sweet scent of his mother, her warmth, and the steady thud of her pulse. Now, he wants to find another world. the warrior is ready to explore. But finding a world, his world, away from the safety of the creel flat and his mother\''9291s hole, is hard and dangerous. And for the warrior to make a new world his, he has to overcome his fears and the 㟴he Enemy. Ages 8+

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.

Jackie French''s critically acclaimed and best-selling ANIMAL STARS series looks at history through the eyes of an animal. Ages: 9-13 All of Australia''s dingoes may be descended from one south-east Asian ''rubbish dog'' who arrived here over 5,000 years ago. This is a story about the first dingo. It is also the story of Loa, who heads off across the sea in his canoe when the girl he loves marries another. He takes only his spears and a ''rubbish dog'', one of the scavengers from around the camp to eat if he gets hungry, or to throw to threatening sharks or crocodiles. But when a storm blows boy and dog out to sea, both must learn to survive in a strange new world as partners - and even as friends. From renowned author Jackie French comes a story about survival in our earliest times. Praise for THE HORSE WHO BIT A BUSHRANGER: ''This is a gripping, moving story that is also wonderfully evocative of an era when survival meant growing, creating or killing everything you needed. Kids will love the book for its pace, its sense of adventure and the fact that it is a darn good tale, like French''s earlier books in the series.'' AUSTRALIAN BOOKSELLER + PUBLISHER

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

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.

the book every parent and teacher should own. Written in Jackie French inimitable style, one of the aims of this book is to help parents and teachers identify children reading difficulties and then suggest ways to deal with them. the book is full of useful and practical solutions, rather than long, dense paragraphs dripping with educational theory and difficult words that are hard to pronounce. Jackie draws on her own experience of being dyslexic to show that there are many fun and rewarding ways to improve your child reading abilities and stimulate a love of books.

Beautiful new editions of popular titles that will entice a whole new generation of readers to the exploits of Phredde and her friends. Phredde and the Zombie Librarian and other stories to eat with a blood plum there''s a grey-flesh zombie librarian tending her blood-starved books in the school library.and a 5000-year-old Egyptian mummy roaming the corridors. Can Phredde and Pru escape? Ages 7-12

Ratso the shearer has a sheep dog called Brute. Big Bob theshearer has a sheep dog called Tiny. But Sean-- the new shearer--has a sheep-sheepnamed Pete. The sheep love Sean and Pete, because they give cool cuts. Now theother shearers are miffed, suggesting the talented duo take their trimmerselsewhere. So Sean and Pete open Sean''s Sheep Salon--with hair raisingresults! Pete the Sheep-Sheep is another spin through French''s andillustrator Whatley''s cheeky sense of absurd fun.

''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

Children will love guzzling their garden - and it''s not too much work as this book will show them. Jackie French is well-known as a gardening expert from her articles in many magazines and newspapers and her tV spot on ''Burke''s Backyard''. In this book she will describe and show children how to easily and quickly set up a garden and be able to eat thing from it with little financial outlay and not too much work! they will be munching their garden in no time at all. this book will also be terrific for schools and other groups to use in teaching children all about growing edible plants. Ages 10+

A thought-provoking and controversial story that examines religious persecution and refugees, this book contains two parallel stories that eventually come together. It is suitable for ages 12+.

Some people eat stories as they would a banana or potato chips: something delicious just for fun. A collection of short connected stories from this popular award-winning author about a \"phaery\" named Phredde and her friend Prudence and a cast of werewolves, vampires and dragons. A punkish and funny treatment of fairyland.

It''s Christmas Day in Shaggy Gully. The kangaroos are bouncy, the echidnas are being prickly, the emus are feeling peckish and the bats and possums are just hanging about. Only the Bunyip is gloomy. [from back cover].

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

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

A story about dreams, gold, rebellion ... and an unlikely friendship across time It''s 1854, and the Ballarat goldfields are a place of dreams and rebellion as Sam, a homeless teenager, is called back to the past to join the Puddlehams, who run ''the best little cook shop on the diggings''. The Puddlehams dream of buying a hotel with velvet seats, while others dream of freedom from the British crown, away from the rule of wealthy landowners and corrupt officials. As the summer days get hotter, and the miners'' protests are ignored with catastrophic results, Sam experiences first-hand the power of a united stand which will change her life forever. PRAISE FOR JACKIE FRENCH ''Jackie French is excellent at telling history in an exciting way for children'' -- Burke''s Backyard

The reality of slavery, the poverty of the Southern Army and chaos of war is a shock to Charlie, and his escape is not the glorious return of the conquering hero he imagined. This book explores the strange story of how a colonial ''gentleman'' from New South Wales, went to serve in the American Civil War.

\"The first three stories featuring Darek and Zantor''s exciting adventures among dragons and humans.\"--Cover.

One by one, seven monkeys who go out to have a good time wind up falling in love over the course of a week.

Called Nickommoh, the Narragansett people gather for a joyful harvest celebration as it has been performed since before the arrival of the first Pilgrims in New England. A glossary and author''s note traces the connection between Nickommoh and the \"first\" Thanksgiving.

Another spell-binding and spooky story starring Phredde, a fractious but fun-loving phaery, Bruce, a mosquito-eating frog, and Pru, an everyday-normal school girl - except that she lives in a fairy castle, keeps pet piranhas, has a werewolf for a brother and a vampire for a teacher. AND EXCEPt that now she has just inherited her very own mansion and is the envy of ALL her friends. Is this too good to be true? Is there something suspicous about Mr Nahsti, the solicitor? Why do Phredde and Bruce, Pruᱠbest friends in the world, keep sneaking off to Phaeryland without her? And most important: who keeps stealing Pru\''9291s underpants? A hair-raising, spine-tingling GHOStLY tale of phaeries, underpants and adventure!

Take a closer look at Australia''s best-known marsupials. Why does Australia have animals that are so different from others anywhere else in the world? Why do ''roos and wallabies have such big tummies? Who were the kangaroos with fangs that lived 10 million years ago? What''s the best way to become invisible (to kangaroos, at any rate)? Which wallaby is a ''living fossil'' - the same as the wallabies that grazed 10 million years ago? Why do joeys eat their mother''s droppings? Fnd out in this fascinating new book! PS: What do you call a kangaroo with a flower behind their ear and a big grin? A happy hippy hoppy. Ages 7-12

The story of the famous Burke and Wills expedition ... as it has never been told before. The humans call him ''Bell Sing'', but to the other camels he is known as ''He Who Spits Further Than the Wind''. Transported from the mountains and deserts of the ''Northwest Frontier'' (present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), Bell Sing accompanies explorers Burke and Wills as they try to cross Australia from south to north. Bell Sing has never had a high opinion of humans -- or horses. And this expedition is the worst-managed caravan he''s ever been in. Camel handler Dost Mahomet and soldier John King are also beginning to wonder if their leader is competent ... or crazy. Bell Sing can smell water over the sandhills on the horizon ... and freedom too. Can the expedition succeed? And who -- if anyone -- will survive? This is the gritty and true story about one of the most extraordinary and iconic events in Australia''s history. PRAISE FOR THE ANIMAL STARS ''an irreverent and informative charmer'' - Sunday Age ''What a delight to read this book! ... could inspire much original history reading by young readers'' - Book News ''This is history brought to life for the younger reader'' - Reader''s Feast Book Guide

We’ve all got wacky families, it’s just that some are wackier than others – find out just how wacky some families can be in the sixth book of this hilarious series. We''ve all got wacky families, it''s just that some are wackier than others - find out just how wacky some families can be in the sixth book of this hilarious series. Drackie is no ordinary kid. He lives on Vampire Island, where every night is dark and stormy. Soon he''ll be old enough to turn into a bat and live in his own castle. Drackie has just had the best birthday ever. His parents have given him what he''s always secretly wished for - a toad. And not just any toad, a vampire toad, he''s called Fang. then the unthinkable happens, Fang is toad-napped and a ransom of $100,000 is asked for by the International Society of toad thieves. the only clue is a bright pink feather. A clue that leads to Auntie Chook. But who is Auntie Chook? And why doesn''t anyone in Drackie''s family wish to talk about her?

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.

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.

Pamela the cow loves pears so much that no one else ever has a chance to eat any.

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)

''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 - now in a ''Big Book'' format! 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.

Queen Victoria was Empress of half the world. She owned palaces and huge armies. Mighty sultans gave her precious jewels. But she didn''t have any knickers!