Jackie French
Encyclopedia
Jacqueline Anne "Jackie" French (born 29 November 1953) is an award-winning Australia
n author. She writes mainly children's fiction and books on gardening.
Jackie French was born in Sydney
and grew up in Brisbane
, but moved to the bush in her early twenties. She is a keen gardener and appeared on the TV series Burke's Backyard
. She has written well over a hundred books. Jackie lives in New South Wales, near the small town of Braidwood
at Araluen
. She began writing when she was 30, in a desperate attempt to get enough money together to register her car. At the time, she was living in a tin shed with a black snake named Gladys and a wombat named Smudge. A hundred and thirty-two books later, she is still writing and is often dubbed Australia's most popular children's writer. Jackie also appears regularly on radio and television.
Shortlisted
Shortlisted
Shortlisted
Shortlisted
Shortlisted
Shortlisted
Honour
Shortlisted
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n author. She writes mainly children's fiction and books on gardening.
Jackie French was born in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and grew up in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, but moved to the bush in her early twenties. She is a keen gardener and appeared on the TV series Burke's Backyard
Burke's Backyard
Burke's Backyard is an Australian gardening and lifestyle program, broadcast on both radio and television. On television, it was a regular weekly series on the Nine Network from 1987 to 2004.- History :...
. She has written well over a hundred books. Jackie lives in New South Wales, near the small town of Braidwood
Braidwood, New South Wales
Braidwood is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in Palerang Shire. It is located on the busy Kings Highway linking Canberra to Batemans Bay on the coast. It is about 200 kilometres south west of Sydney and about 60 kilometres inland from the coast...
at Araluen
Araluen, New South Wales
Araluen is a small town near Braidwood in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in Palerang Council. It lies in the valley of Araluen creek, that joins the Deua River at roughly the mid point in its course. On Census night 2006, Araluen had a population of 215 people.The name...
. She began writing when she was 30, in a desperate attempt to get enough money together to register her car. At the time, she was living in a tin shed with a black snake named Gladys and a wombat named Smudge. A hundred and thirty-two books later, she is still writing and is often dubbed Australia's most popular children's writer. Jackie also appears regularly on radio and television.
Picture Books
with Bruce Whatley- 2003: Diary of a Wombat
- 2003: Too many Pears!
- 2005: Pete the Sheep
- 2007 Josephine Loves to Dance
- 2007: The Shaggy Gully Times
- 2010: Queen Victoria's Underpants
Other junior fiction
- 1993: Walking the Boundaries
- 1993: Music from the Sea
- 1993: City in the Sand
- 1993: House of a Hundred Animals
- 1994: The Metal Men
- 1995: Somewhere Around the Corner
- 1995: The Secret Beach
- 1996: Beyond the Boundaries
- 1996: The Tribe that Sang to Trees
- 1996: The Warrior (Young Blue Gum), illustrated by Bettina Guthridge
- 1996: A Wombat Named Bosco, illustrated by Bettina Guthridge
- 1997: Summerland
- 1997: The Book of Unicorns
- 1997: Soldier on the Hill
- 1999: Charlie's Gold
- 1999: Hitler's Daughter
- 1999: Tajore Arkle
- 2001: Dark Wind BlowingDark Wind BlowingDark Wind Blowing is a work of young-adult fiction by Jackie French. The theme explored in the text is the use and misuse of power. The text deals with issues of bullying, terrorism and the everyday life of a teenager. The ideas explored in the text suggest that the author is exposing, by providing...
- 2002: Cafe on Callisto
- 2002: The White ShipThe White Ship (Jackie French novel)The White Ship is a 2002 novel by Australian children's author Jackie French. The White Ship follows the journey of a group of Protestant children who are force to flee their home, an island of the coast of France, upon a defecting warship known as "The White Ship" in 1572, after Catherine de...
- 2004: Tom Appleby, Convict Boy
- 2005: They Came on Viking Ships (published as Slave Girl in the UK and Rover in the USA )
- 2006: Macbeth and Son
- 2007: Pharaoh
- 2007: Rover
- 2008: A Rose for the Anzac Boys
- December 2009-2010: A Waltz for Matilda
Wacky Family series
- My Mum the Pirate
- My Dog the Dinosaur
- My Dad the Dragon
- My Uncle Gus the Garden Gnome
- My Uncle Wal the Werewolf
- 2006: My Gran the Gorilla
- My Auntie Chook the Vampire Chicken
- My Gran the Gorilla
- My Pa the Polar Bear
Phredde the Phaery series
- A Phaery named Phredde - Stories to eat with a Banana
- Phredde and a Frog named Bruce - Stories to eat with a Watermelon
- Phredde and the Zombie Librarian - Stories to eat with a Blood Plum
- Phredde and the Temple of Gloom - A Story to eat with a Mandarin
- Phredde and the Leopard skin Librarian - A Story to eat with a Dinosaur Apple
- Phredde and the Purple Pyramid - a story to eat with a Passionfruit
- Phredde and the Vampire Footie Team - a story to eat with an Orange at Half Time
- 2005: Phredde and the Runaway Ghost Train
The Cafe on Callisto Series
- Cafe on Callisto
- Space Pirates on Callisto
- 2003: Vampire Slugs on Callisto
School for Heroes series
- Lessons for a Werewolf Warrior
- Dance of the Deadly Dinosaurs
Other fiction
- Lady Dance
- Missing You, Love Sara
- Valley of Gold
- Ride the Wild Wind
- Children of the Valley series
Animal Heroes series
- The Goat Who sailed the World - the true story of the goat who sailed with Captain Cook on the Endeavour
- The Donkey Who Carried The Wounded - the true story of Simpson and his Donkey who worked together to bring back wounded men from battle in Gallipoli
- The Dog who Loved a Queen - the true story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the dog who was faithful to her until the day she was beheaded
- The Camel who Crossed Australia - the factual tale of a camel who crosses Australia with Burke and Wills
- The Horse who Bit a Bushranger
Other junior non-fiction
- 2000: How to Guzzle Your Garden (with Judith Rossell)
- 2001: How the Finnegans Saved the Ship
- 2003: Valley of Gold
- 2005: The Secret World of Wombats (with Bruce Whatley)
- The Fascinating History of Your Lunch
- Stamp, Stomp, Whomp and Other Interesting Ways to Get Rid of Pests
- The Dinkum History series- an eight volume history of AustraliaHistory of AustraliaThe History of Australia refers to the history of the area and people of Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians are believed to have first arrived on the Australian mainland by boat from the Indonesian archipelago between 40,000 to...
, illustrated by Peter Sheehan
Adult books
- 1998: Seasons of Content (A Year in the Southern Highlands), illustrated by Gwen Harrison
- 2003: A War for Gentlemen
To the Moon and Back
- 2005: Children's Book Council of Australia Awards Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
Diary of a Wombat
Won- 2003: American Library Association Notable Children's Book
- 2003: Voted Favourite Picture Book of the Year in the Cuffie Awards in the USA
- 2003: Tied with Diary of a Worm for Funniest Book in the Cuffie Awards in the USA
- Number two on the 'Best 20 picture books for 2003' in the USA
- COOL AwardCOOL Award WinnersThe COOL awards is an annual children's choice award voted on by students in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Children are encouraged to read and vote for their favourite books...
, for Best Picture Book, voted by the kids of the ACT - 2003: Winner Young Australian Readers' Award
- 2003: Winner KOALA Award for Best Picture Book
- 2003: ABA/A A Neilson Book of the Year
- 2003: Honour Book, Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Picture Book of the Year
- 2004: USA Benjamin Franklin Award
- 2004: USA Lemmee Award
- 2004: KIND Award USA
Shortlisted
- 2003: KOALA, COOLCOOL Award WinnersThe COOL awards is an annual children's choice award voted on by students in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Children are encouraged to read and vote for their favourite books...
and YABBA awards, Children's Book Council of Australia Awards for Picture Book of the Year, Australian Publisher's Association Book Design Awards for Best Designed Children's Picture Book, and also for a Galley Club Award, Picture Book category of the Children's Choice Book Awards - 2004: Bilby AwardBilby Award WinnersThe Bilby Award is awarded annually by the Queensland's Branch of the Children's Book Council Awards.The name of the award, The Bilby, is an acronym of "Books I Love Best Yearly". The award is a children's choice award. Each year Queensland students are asked to nominate their favourite book, and...
The Secret World of Wombats
Shortlisted- 2006: NSW Premier's Literary Awards Patricia Wrightson Prize
They Came on Viking Ships
Shortlisted- 2006: New South Wales Premier's History Awards - Young People's History Prize
My Dad the Dragon
Shortlisted- 2005: Children's Book Council Awards, the Younger Readers Award and Picture Book of the Year
Tom Appleby, Convict Boy
Won- 2005: Children's Book Council Awards - winner of the Younger Readers Award
Shortlisted
- 2005: Picture Book of the Year
Hitler's Daughter
Won- 2003 Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year, Young Readers
- 2003 Named a "Blue Ribbon" book by the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books in the USA.
- UK National Literacy Association WOW! Award
Shortlisted
- 2000: the Sanderson Young Adult Audio Book of the Year Awards: Vision Australia Library
- 2001: the Older Readers' category of the Bilby AwardBilby Award WinnersThe Bilby Award is awarded annually by the Queensland's Branch of the Children's Book Council Awards.The name of the award, The Bilby, is an acronym of "Books I Love Best Yearly". The award is a children's choice award. Each year Queensland students are asked to nominate their favourite book, and...
, YABBAs and the WAYRBA - 2002: KOALA, COOLCOOL Award WinnersThe COOL awards is an annual children's choice award voted on by students in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Children are encouraged to read and vote for their favourite books...
and YABBA awards, the Older Readers' category of the Children's Choice Book Awards - 2004: COOLCOOL Award WinnersThe COOL awards is an annual children's choice award voted on by students in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Children are encouraged to read and vote for their favourite books...
and Yabba Awards
How to Guzzle Your Garden
Shortlisted- 2000: Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Eve Pownall Award for Information
Flesh and Blood
Won- 2004: Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
for Fantasy and Science Fiction - Best Young Adult Novel
Ride the Wild Wind
Won- 2003: CBCA Notable Book
Shortlisted
- 2003: New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards - Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature
Lady Dance
Won- 2001: Children's Book Council of Australia, Notable Book and Book of the Year
Stamp, Stomp, Whomp
Won- 2001: Children's Book Council of Australia, Notable Book and Book of the Year
Missing You, Love Sara
Won- 2001: Notable Book: CBCA Book of the Year
Shortlisted
- 2001: West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) in the Older Readers' category
- 2002: for the KOALAs, YABBA
Too Many Pears!
Won- 2004: CBC Notable book
Shortlisted
- 2004: COOl and KOALA Awards
Daughter of the Regiment
Shortlisted- 1999: Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year, Young Readers
Somewhere Around the Corner
Won- 1994: Highly Commended in the Annual Australian Family Therapists' Award for Children's Literature
Honour
- 1995: Honour Book, Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year, Young Readers
Walking the Boundaries
Won- 1994: Notable Book, CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers
Shortlisted
- Junior Section of the Australian Multicultural Children's Literature Awards
Rain Stones
Shortlisted- 1991: Children's Book Award in the NSW Premier's Literary AwardsNew South Wales Premier's Literary AwardsThe New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards were established in 1979 by the New South Wales Premier Neville Wran. Commenting on its purpose, Wran said: "We want the arts to take, and be seen to take, their proper place in our social priorities...
- 1992: Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year, Young Readers
- 1993: Primary Age Group of the WAYRBAs
The Roo that Won the Melbourne Cup
Won- 1992: Notable Book, CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers
A Rose for the Anzac Boys
Shortlisted- 2009: Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year