New Releases by Jackie French

From bestselling author Jackie French comes a compelling book about the choices we make and the chances we never dreamed we'd be given. 1931. The height of the Depression, Sydney, New South Wales They were diamonds: beautiful, sparkling and irresistible. Nice girls do not accept employment from infamous Tilly Devine, the brothel owner with jewels on her fingers and a pistol in her handbag. All of Sydney knows her as the queen of crime, ruling an empire of bootleg whisky and gambling clubs, and rumour has it she's quick to pull the trigger on anyone who crosses her - including her husband. Yet, destitute after her mother's death, Constance McKie realises she has three choices: starve, jump over The Gap, or enter a life no respectable girl would dare consider. When Tilly Devine offers her a role as one of her 'diamonds', Connie finds that perhaps she's not the girl she thought she was. A diamond's role is complex, demanding, usually glamorous and entirely secret, and kept far away from Tilly's world of gang wars, bribery and blackmail. But when murder is suspected in the mansion that becomes her home, Connie soon learns that it's not only diamonds that are tougher than steel. PRAISE FOR JACKIE FRENCH 'I personally consider Jackie French the queen of historical fiction, and let me tell you, she did not disappoint ... I was absolutely hooked until the final page.' Better Reading on The Whisperer's War 'There aren't many books that make me reach for a tissue as I read the final chapter, but this did.' Good Reading on The Whisperer's War

Renowned author and historian Jackie French takes us back in time to Greece and Rome and explores young heroes in ancient myths and legends whose stories will now be told. Forget what you know about Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen with a fantastic hairstyle. That''s only part of the story. Before she was a ruler, Cleopatra was a girl with a fierce ambition: to become pharaoh. When twelve-year-old Cleopatra and her father, Pharaoh Ptolemy XII, flee to ancient Rome in 59 BCE after Cleopatra''s sister seizes the throne, they are in serious trouble. It''s up to Cleopatra to raise enough gold to hire an army, gain the support of powerful allies, and take back her country''s land. Three years later she had become the most famous pharaoh in history. This is the story of how that year in ancient Rome might have changed Cleopatra''s life, with daring escapes, crocodiles, pirates, shipwreck and encountering the intrepid Captain Fileas and Myra, the slave determined to be free. From one of Australia''s best-loved authors comes the first title in an exciting new series that explores the Ancient World. PRAISE ''... delightful romp through antiquity'' - Books+Publishing

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

An empowering and exhilarating look at the girls who went before us, and the way they shaped the world. Ming Qong is convinced that girls have changed the world throughout history. So when Ming is thrust back in time to Belgium during WWI, only to be rescued from a burning cellar by Marie -- an experienced spy at only twelve years of age -- she finally has her proof. Marie is involved with a female secret resistance group who risk their lives to outwit the German troops. But Ming now faces a tough choice: will she send coded messages and risk her own life in this war on which the future depends? As Ming learns, change is never easy, so how can one girl change the world? From one of Australia's favourite writers comes an inspiring series for all the young people who will, one day, change the world. AWARDS Book Links 2023 Award for Children's Historical Fiction - Longlisted

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.

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.

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…

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

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?

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?

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...

''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

Australian Children''s Laureate, book lover and dyslexia sufferer Jackie French gives a wonderful insight into how you can help your child discover a world of books. Does your child love books, but can''t stay still long enough to focus on reading one? Would you like to improve your child''s reading ability? Don''t know where to begin to stimulate a greater love of reading in your child? Award-winning author Jackie French knows what it is to struggle with reading and literacy. Drawing on her own experience with dyslexia, Jackie has written this book to help parents identify the possible reading difficulties their children may have. All children learn differently, and Jackie offers many fun and rewarding way s to help launch your child into literacy. these include games for coordination, concentration and focus as well as helpful steps to kickstart your child into reading and to foster a life-long love of books. I SPY A GREAt READER is filled with a wealth of advice, anecdotes and activities - it''s a book every parent should own.

A child describes the bouncing, sliding, wiggling, running, splashing, reading, snuggling, and more that fills the day from sun up to bedtime.

"Christmas from a wombat's point of view, including competition for the carrots children have left out for Santa's reindeer, and guess who gets stuck in the chimney?"--

there are hundreds and thousands of Missing Persons ... whether they have changed identity to remain hidden from those who love them, whether they have been abducted or some other reason is not always known. Missing You, Love Sara is a story of such a person and the effect on those left behind. At 11.35am, thursday May 4th, Sara''s sister Reenie disappears. Was she kidnapped Did she kill herself Did she simply decide to vanish Or is her body lying somewhere waiting to be found this is Sara''s story as she tries to work it out. How can someone like Reenie just disappear And are the police really doing everything they can to find her ... Ages 12+ there are hundreds and thousands of Missing Persons ... whether they have changed identity to remain hidden from those who love them, whether they have been abducted or some other reason is not always known. Missing You, Love Sara is a story of such a person and the effect on those left behind. At 11.35am, thursday May 4th, Sara''s sister Reenie disappears. Was she kidnapped? Did she kill herself? Did she simply decide to vanish? Or is her body lying somewhere waiting to be found? this is Sara''s story as she tries to work it out. How can someone like Reenie just disappear? And are the police really doing everything they can to find her ... Ages 12+

Beautiful new editions of popular titles that will entice a whole new generation of readers to the exploits of Phredde and her friends. A Phaery Named Phredde and other stories to eat with a banana Meet Phredde, the coolest phaery in the universe. Phredde is tiny, ferocious and Pru's best friend. And with Pru's brother turning into a werewolf, Pru needs all the magic help she can get! Ages 7-12

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?

An exciting new tale of a brumby, a boy and a bushranger in the Animal Stars series. A story of survival, second chances ... and a dance with danger. Young Billy Marks is a pickpocket, transported to the penal colony of New South Wales. He reckons he'll become a bushranger - but that's before he's had a chance to see the bush up close. And when he buys the big white brumby stallion, covered with scars but refusing to bend to any man's will, he knows he made the right choice. Billy's daughter Mattie Jane thinks her father can ride any horse who ever lived ... and so can she! But when tragedy strikes, the Marks clan, including Mattie's beloved horse, Rebel Yell, will need all their courage to keep the family together. The deeds and disputed stories of Jackie French's own ancestors inspire another novel - a tale of proud horses, trailblazing farmers and their resilient wives, and desperate men forced to break the law to survive. PRAISE FOR ANIMAL STARS SERIES: 'beautifully written ... a significant addition to the books about Gallipoli' - ReadPlus.com.au 'marvel at Jackie French's versatility and her skill in making the past live for young readers' - Magpies

BUStER LIVES IN tHE HAPPIESt WOLF CLAN AROUND. Dad can catch dried cow pats with his teeth, Mum's corgi milkshakes are to die for (unless you happen to be a corgi) and Aunty Paws mkes one of the best dead rat sandwich in the world. One day Mum and Dad disappear without a trace. Have Buster's parents been wolfnapped? And now, Uncle Wal is leader of the pack. He wants the clan to move from Werewolf Mountain, and for Buster to go to SCHOOL! But Buster has other plans... Find out what Buster discovers as this thrilling and hilarious adventure unfolds in the Wacky family series! Ages 7+

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.

She has been banished from the city to a remote area and a murdered girl lands on her doorstep ... Danielle has always been ''linked'' to others so when her links were cut and she was banished from the city it was a shock in more ways than one. She no longer had fast access to information, food, friends - anything. Now she will fend for herself and she is notorious for having been part of an experimental type of linking with 3 others. They are either dead or dead to Danielle anyway. Then, soon after moving in, an injured young girl turns up on her doorstep - the girl soon dies and Danielle cannot let go of the mystery of her death. With Neil, who lives in a neighbouring commune, she begins to make enquiries at places all over the countryside and starts suspecting that someone is making illegal modifications to humans - could it be that vampirism is becoming a trait in some humans from this illegal activity And, if so, how far has it gone - can Danielle find the source before they are all dead An exciting, fast-paced read from one of Australia''s premier storytellers for young adults. Ages 16+ She has been banished from the city to a remote area and a murdered girl lands on her doorstep ... Danielle has always been ''linked'' to others so when her links were cut and she was banished from the city it was a shock in more ways than one. She no longer had fast access to information, food, friends - anything. Now she will fend for herself and she is notorious for having been part of an experimental type of linking with 3 others. they are either dead or dead to Danielle anyway. then, soon after moving in, an injured young girl turns up on her doorstep - the girl soon dies and Danielle cannot let go of the mystery of her death. With Neil, who lives in a neighbouring commune, she begins to make enquiries at places all over the countryside and starts suspecting that someone is making illegal modifications to humans - could it be that vampirism is becoming a trait in some humans from this illegal activity? And, if so, how far has it gone - can Danielle find the source before they are all dead? An exciting, fast-paced read from one of Australia''s premier storytellers for young adults. Ages 16+

A collection of four favourites from the Wacky Families series. there''s no such thing as a normal family! But some are wackier than others... Cecil''s Mum wears long black boots and carries a sword; Gunk''s dog Spot loves lettuce and seems to be growing awfully big, awfully fast; Horace''s Dad has silver wings and a green and orange tail; and tom''s family circle includes a Senior Bogeyman, a tooth Fairy''s assistant and a large and hairy best friend called Mog. Fortunately for tom, his Uncle Gus is great at proving the old saying that small people can make a big difference. With drawings by award-winning illustrator Stephen Michael King, this collection of four hilarious Wacky Family stories is guaranteed to delight younger readers. Containing: My Mum the Pirate My Dog the Dinosaur My Dad the Dragon My Uncle Gus the Garden Gnome Ages: 7 - 10

Prudence is invited by her father's distant werewolf cousins to their gloomy castle to hunt for some missing 'treasure'. Phredde and Bruce accompany Prudence, who is well aware that if she fails then her father will have to take her place. the zombie librarian also makes a reappearance, as does the castle banshee, and Cousin Flea decides that he wants to be a lighting and sound technician and turns what was once a nicely decorated castle into a setting for a television series. Ages 7-12

TJ''s gran has hairy legs and arms. She also makes the best banana cake in the universe, as well as baked bananas, choc-coated bananas and Roast Lamb Surprise (which is mostly bananas) too. In fact, there is only one little problem about having a gorilla for a gran. And the little problem''s name is Linda. What will cool clever Linda think when she finds out who tJ''s gran really is? And what will she think of a pet who''s a slimy Giant Skateboarding Slug called Egbert? Will she still want to perambulate with tJ? But then again, perhaps Mr Pifflewhiskers, their teacher, is not what he seems... When wombat poachers come to Gobbledygook - it''s up to tJ and Gran, with help from Linda and Egbert - and a surprise discovery - to save the day. Join tJ and his gran the gorilla in another exciting adventure in the Wacky Families series.

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!

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

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

Captain Cook''s goat is the first of many historical animals to bring the past to life. the HM Bark Endeavour is sailing to tahiti to map the transit of Venus, but there are rumours that once the task is completed, Lieutenant James Cook has a set of secret orders - orders that command him to search for the Great South Land. Isaac is twelve and has joined the crew of the Endeavour as a master''s servant, good for scrubbing decks and not much else. He''s certainly not considered good enough to fetch hay for the Goat who will provide fresh milk for Cook and his officers. And this goat even has more experience at sea than Isaac - she has already sailed around the world once, watching the ocean and lands slip by from her spot on the quarterdeck. Over the months on board the Endeavour, a friendship grows between the Goat and Isaac, one that will last through shipwreck, bushfire and illness. A friendship that helps in the discovery of exotic new lands ... Ages 9 - 13