New Releases by Jackie French

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.

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.

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+

Werewolves, wacky creatures and lots of crazy humour - sounds like another hilarious series from Jackie French!! Ages 8-10 Boojum Bark is a werewolf - and a hero. He doesn''t really want to be, but it''s the only way he''ll save his mum. Now he has to go to Hero School to learn the Right Way to achieve hero status.Werewolves are at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to heroes - especially when they lift their legs on the doorpost and do outrageous things on stage in the middle of school assembly.But something strange is happening at the School for Heroes. Could the school be under attack? If so, by whom? And who will protect it? Can Boojum sniff out the perpetrators?Join the funniest assortment of strange (but heroic!) characters ever to attend one school as they try to find out what being a hero really means.Ages 8 - 10

the hole was moving! the walls were falling down... there was a rope under his arms. there was a face above. An anxious face, yelling something down to him, something he didn''t understand. A strange face, with something wrong about the eyes. tanned skin, unshaven, black hair a bit too long. Joey knows there is a Japanese soldier hiding in the hills. It was a Japanese man, a soldier, who hauled him out of the mineshaft, who lit the fire to bring the searchers, and then disappeared. But nobody believes Joey. After all, it is World War 2 and children have nightmares. Joey knows he will have to find the soldier himself - must find him. Could he be part of the invasion force Could he be sending messages to waiting submarines Ages 12+ the hole was moving! the walls were falling down... there was a rope under his arms. there was a face above. An anxious face, yelling something down to him, something he didn''t understand. A strange face, with something wrong about the eyes. tanned skin, unshaven, black hair a bit too long. Joey knows there is a Japanese soldier hiding in the hills. It was a Japanese man, a soldier, who hauled him out of the mineshaft, who lit the fire to bring the searchers, and then disappeared. But nobody believes Joey. After all, it is World War 2 and children have nightmares. Joey knows he will have to find the soldier himself - must find him. Could he be part of the invasion force? Could he be sending messages to waiting submarines? Ages 12+

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

This is the story of a dog called Hank, who obeys all the rules ... by interpreting them in his own way. A very funny picture book about a dog who is convinced he is doing the right thing - and a family who love him, no matter what. this is the story of a dog called Hank, who obeys all the rules ... by interpreting them in his own way. A very funny picture book about a dog who is convinced he is doing the right thing - and a family who love him, no matter what.

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.

Mike is just like any other normal kid - he lives with his mum in an ordinary house, in a small town, where nothing unusual ever happens. His next-door neighbour is Lance Loosley, a boy who''s known at school as ''Loser'' because he''s so unpopular. Loser tells Mike that ''tenterfield'' - the old property nearby, which was recently bought by some foreign investors is being used as a laboratory to run dangerous experiments. Of course, Mike doesn''t believe Loser for a second. He''s always concocting stories to make himself look good. But one day at school, Loser is pushed too far by the other kids. this time the humiliation and teasing is too much, and Loser seeks revenge. He smashes a test tube in class, a test tube that he says contains a deadly virus from the ''tenterfield'' property. Is Loser telling the truth Have they all driven him into becoming a killer Will they all die from the virus Mike is just like any other normal kid - he lives with his mum in an ordinary house, in a small town, where nothing unusual ever happens.His next-door neighbour is Lance Loosley, a boy who''s known at school as ''Loser'' because he''s so unpopular. Loser tells Mike that ''tenterfield'' - the old property nearby, which was recently bought by some foreign investors is being used as a laboratory to run dangerous experiments. Of course, Mike doesn''t believe Loser for a second. He''s always concocting stories to make himself look good.But one day at school, Loser is pushed too far by the other kids. this time the humiliation and teasing is too much, and Loser seeks revenge. He smashes a test tube in class, a test tube that he says contains a deadly virus from the ''tenterfield'' property.Is Loser telling the truth? Have they all driven him into becoming a killer? Will they all die from the virus?

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

A delightful picture book about a world of hidden animals that only a child can see. Giraffes can''t resist the trees, I like milk and sandwiches ... But who stole the cheese? From the co-creators of GOOD DOG HANK comes a picture for all those children who love dinosaurs ... and cheese. Ages: 3+

From the creators of the delightful QUEEN VICTORIA''S UNDERPANTS comes the story of the first ''traditional'' Christmas, complete with a Christmas tree and presents for the family, as seen from the point of view of Queen Victoria''s dogs. Something strange is happening at the palace and the dogs can''t work it out. the cooks are busy ... are royal visitors arriving? Mysterious parcels are arriving. And most curious of all ... what is that tree doing in Prince Albert''s study? From the creators of the delightful QUEEN VICtORIA''S UNDERPANtS come the story of the first ''traditional'' Christmas, complete with a Christmas tree and presents for the family, as seen from the point of view of Queen Victoria''s dogs.

It''s Christmas - from a wombat''s point of view. It''s Christmas! And it''s Christmas for Mothball the Wombat, too.She eats, she sleeps, she scratches,but on Christmas Eve ... Created by writer Jackie French and illustrator Bruce Whatley, CHRISTMAS WOMBAT is another irresistible picture book by this extraordinary award-winning pair. Ages 3+

A hilarious view of Christmas as seen through the eyes of Mothball the wombat.

''HISTORICAL FICTION AT ITS BEST'' -- Bookseller & Publisher It''s 1939, and for Georg, son of an English academic living in Germany, life is full of cream cakes and loving parents. It is also a time when his teacher measures the pupils'' heads to see which of them have the most ''Aryan''- shaped heads. But when a university graduation ceremony turns into a pro-Nazi demonstration, Georg is smuggled out of Germany to war-torn London and then across enemy seas to Australia where he must forget his past and who he is in order to survive. Hatred is contagious, but Georg finds that kindness can be, too. A companion piece to the best-selling Hitler''s Daughter, this is a story of war-torn Europe during WWII, as seen through the eyes of a young German boy Georg, who loses his family and must forget his past and who he is in order to survive. MORE PRAISE FOR PENNIES FOR HITLER ''Jackie French''s research and subsequent feeling for the era is superb the descriptions of wartime Australia alone are fascinating. This is historical fiction at is best and thoroughly recommended for upper primary children and beyond.'' -- Bookseller & Publisher, 5 Star Review ''From its dramatic opening sequence to its one word conclusion 300 pages later, this is an absorbing story rich with details of everyday life'' -- Canberra Times ''This striking fiction for school age readers gives an unflinching view of war and a close-up human perspective on asylum seekers.'' -- Saturday Age

7 books in 1. these spell-binding and spooky stories all star 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. the stories are A Phaery Named Phredde and Other Stories to Eat with a Banana; Phredde and a Frog Named Bruce and Other Stories to eat with a Watermelon; Phredde and the temple of Gloom: A Story to Eat with a Mandarin; Phredde and the Leopardskin Librarian: A Story to Eat with a Dinosaur Apple; Phredde and the Vampire Footy team; Phredde and the Ghostly Underpants: A Story to Eat with a Mango; and Phredde and the Zombie Librarian and Other Stories to Eat with a Blood Plum.

4 books in 1. these books for children based on historical animals give kids irresistibly exciting and true stories to introduce them to history. the books are: the Goat who Sailed the World (set on the Endeavour, with James Cook); the Dog who Loved a Queen (about Mary Queen of Scots); the Camel who Crossed Australia (about the Burke and Wills expedition); the Donkey who Carried the Wounded (set in Gallipoli in WWI, with Simpson).

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!

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

We''ve all got wacky families, it''s just that some are wackier than others - find out how wacky in the fourth book of this hilarious series, My Uncle Gus the Garden Gnome. tom has the happiest family around. Dad is Senior Bogeyman for the entire east coast and Mum is First Assistant tooth Fairy. Only Uncle Gus feels a professional failure - he''s just a garden gnome. But when the Most Powerful Witch in the World puts a bad-luck spell on tom, it''s Uncle Gus - and tom''s friend Mog (who''s a . well, no one is quite sure what Mog is, but he''s large and hairy) - who put things right. A hilarious story featuring sabre-toothed tigers, mad scientist teachers, magic carpets, and lots of fun and mayhem. Ages 7+

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. Phredde and a Frog Named Bruce and other stories to eat with a watermelon When your teacher''s a vampire, your brother''s a werewolf, and a frog named Bruce refuses to try to help to save Sleeping Beauty from the Prince, what else can happen? Ages 7-12

A story of transportation and life in a new world from Australia''s Children''s Laureate At the tender age of eight, chimney sweep Tom Appleby is convicted of stealing and sentenced to deportation to Botany Bay. As one of the members of the First Fleet, he arrives in a country that seemingly has little to offer - or little that the English are used to, anyway. Luckily, not long after tom''s arrival in the colony, the fair and kind Sergeant Stanley decides to take on tom as a servant. Together Tom, Sergeant Stanley and his son, Rob, build a house, set up an orchard and a vegetable garden for themselves - and thrive, unlike many others in the new colony. Jackie French weaves Tom''s story in with the story of the development of Australia. She tells of a colony that, despite its natural abundance, cannot offer what the colonists want - familiarity. While the people''s health is better than it ever was in England, their morale is low as they wait for news from home. 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

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?

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

the body lay at the bottom of the stairs. He wore red and green pyjamas. It took me a second to realise the red was blood. An old man, his eyes were still open. For one dreadful moment I thought he was still alive. But no one can live with a hole where their throat should be... Danielle Forest, Virtual Engineer, was looking forward to spending some quiet time with her lover, in their stone house in the Outlands. But someone, or some thing, keeps murdering members of nearby Utopias. A family of werewolves is under suspicion and Danielle''s friend Ophelia asks her to prove their innocence. Before she can say ''silver bullet'', Danielle is a temporary resident of the tree - home to the apparently friendly werewolves - and fully occupied trying to deal with another bloody murder, the angry local community and some amorous water sprites; not to mention her bone-loving hosts. Are the werewolves the killers Danielle seeks Or are humans more vicious by far this thrilling sequel to In the Blood is the second book in the Outlands trilogy. Ages 16+ the body lay at the bottom of the stairs. He wore red and green pyjamas. It took me a second to realise the red was blood. An old man, his eyes were still open. For one dreadful moment I thought he was still alive. But no one can live with a hole where their throat should be... Danielle Forest, Virtual Engineer, was looking forward to spending some quiet time with her lover, in their stone house in the Outlands. But someone, or some thing, keeps murdering members of nearby Utopias. A family of werewolves is under suspicion and Danielle''s friend Ophelia asks her to prove their innocence. Before she can say ''silver bullet'', Danielle is a temporary resident of the tree - home to the apparently friendly werewolves - and fully occupied trying to deal with another bloody murder, the angry local community and some amorous water sprites; not to mention her bone-loving hosts. Are the werewolves the killers Danielle seeks? Or are humans more vicious by far? this thrilling sequel to In the Blood is the second book in the Outlands trilogy. Ages 16+

Just shut your eyes and picture yourself walking around the corner. that''s what my friend told me. Somewhere around the corner and you''ll be safe. the demonstration was wild, out of control. Barbara was scared. She saw the policeman running towards her. She needed to escape. She closed her eyes and did precisely that: she walked somewhere around the corner - to another demonstration - to another time. Barbara was lucky she meet young Jim who took her out of this strange, frightening city to his home. It was 1932, when Australia was in the grip of the depression, and Jim lived in a shantytown. But Barbara found a true friend and a true home - somewhere safe around the corner. Ages 12+

the Fascinating History of Your Lunch is an historical look at food and the food from right around the world. Who invented cheese? Or bread or margarine? Where did lettuce and tomato plants originally come from? the plants we eat nowadays come from all over the world and the way we cook and eat them also come from many different cultures. Apples travelled with the Romans, oranges with the Muslim armies and chocolate started off as ancient Aztec coins. the history of food is the history of the world - the Spanish conquistadors conquered the South American Aztec empire and brought home the bitter beans that would eventually become chocolate. they also brought potatoes and chillies with them. Wars, famines and revolutions bring people from one country to another and they bring their favourite food, too. the most important things to learn from history are how people once lived and thought and how that has led to the world we know today. And one of the most interesting ways of understanding history is to look at what we eat. Ages 10+

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+

Do you like to fly to the moons of Saturn or visit talking wombats Do you like to daydream Do you eat chocolate Have you ever wondered how your favourite authors create the fantastic worlds their characters inhabit And have you ever wanted to write yourself Jackie French, one of Australia''s most popular and renowned children''s authors, helps you to unleash the full power of your creative imagination. Everything is covered from how not to write the beginning of your story to ways you can make your stories fatter and juicier. Hovercrafts, orphaned cats, horrible maths teachers - you never thought writing could be so much fun. Characters made from compost or aliens in your maths class - you too can be a writer. Ages 10+ Do you like to fly to the moons of Saturn or visit talking wombats? Do you like to daydream? Do you eat chocolate? Have you ever wondered how your favourite authors create the fantastic worlds their characters inhabit? And have you ever wanted to write yourself? Jackie French, one of Australiaᱠmost popular and renowned childrenᱠauthors, helps you to unleash the full power of your creative imagination. Everything is covered from how not to write the beginning of your story to ways you can make your stories fatter and juicier. Hovercrafts, orphaned cats, horrible maths teachers - you never thought writing could be so much fun. Characters made from compost or aliens in your maths class - you too can be a writer.Ages 10+