Most Popular Books by Jackie French

Adventurous monkeys have a series of mishaps and escapades involving a bike, a golf cart, a canoe, a restaurant, and a hotel.

When his father moves away to find work and his mother becomes ill, Danny struggles to help his family during the Great Depression.

It''s Matt''s first Christmas without his mother, and he is doing everything he can to keep her traditions alive, from decorating the Christmas tree with pokeberry candles to asking Pa to tell the story of the Christmas miracle when animals were given the power of speech. When a hungry bear comes out of hibernation and surprises Matt and his Labrador retriever, Sara, in the. Mattescapes up a tree, but while defending him, Sara is mauled by the frustrated bear. Matt must get help for his beloved dog; the only problem is that snow is coming and he is completely lost. Suddenly, he hears a voice telling him the way. Is it Sara''s? Or is it Ma''s? Before Matt will leave, he makes Sara promise she''ll be alive when he returns. This jewel of a novel from acclaimed author Jackie French Koller beautifully portrays the loving bond between a boy and his dog.

An American Library Association Recommended Book for Reluctant Young Readers and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.

Finding a baby dragon accidentally left alive after his older brother''s Dragonquest, Darek risks death and the anger of his people in trying to return it to the Valley of the Dragons.

The fearsome knight Horace tries to prove to his niece that he is as good as his brother, the King, while all she really wants is someone to help her stop missing her father.

Buster is a werewolf. He shouldn''t have to go to school!

One hot summer day, four bored children start a watermelon seed-spitting battle that soon spreads throughout their town.

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?

Find out just how wacky some families can be in the eighth book of this hilarious series. Fuzz and his family live at the zoo. Fuzz''s dad is a blood-thirsty tiger, his mum a mud-cake-making rhinoceros, his sister a tap-dancing giraffe and his brothers a pair of somersaulting monkeys. Fuzz makes great pocket-money pretending to be a polar bear, and at the end of each day his family take off their costumes. Well, most of the time, anyway. Fuzz''s pa loves being a polar bear so much he wants to be one! And when he wins two tickets for a cruise to the Arctic, things don''t quite turn out as planned! Who is the mysterious girl with pointed ears? What are those strange jingle bells Fuzz keeps hearing? How can two part-time polar bears cope with real ones? Will Fuzz and Pa have to eat raw fish forever? And do reindeer really fly ... Find out what happens at the North Pole with Fuzz and his pa on this amazing Arctic adventure in the Wacky Families series. Ages 7-10

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

A delightful and entertaining peek into the life of one very busy wombat!Ages: 3-7 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.

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.

Howard and the monster under his bed decide on a plan to convince their mothers that both of them have reason to be afraid after dark.

While running from the truth to escape painful memories of losing his eye, seventeen-year-old Luke gets himself into a series of dangerous situations.

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.

Book 2 in the Animal Stars series - where history comes alive through the eyes of special animals. To outsiders, Mary is a queen and a threat, but to her devoted dog Folly, she is his world To the world outside her luxurious prison, Mary Queen of Scots was either a shameless beauty who killed her husband, or the rightful Queen of England and Scotland, tragically held captive by Elizabeth I. But to the dog who loved her, Mary was simply his mistress, and the centre of his world. While Mary desperately plotted to seize both her freedom and the throne, her dog Folly''s world is one of chasing mice behind the tapestries and enjoying turkey legs with quinces for supper. Until the day comes when they try to take his Queen away ... Based on the true story of the dog who was with Mary when she died, the Dog Who Loved a Queen is a fascinating tale of religious bigotry, plots and passion - and the unquestioning loyalty of a small Scottish terrier.

Cecil''s mom wears high black boots and makes her enemies walk the plank. Is she really a pirate?

Princess Arenelle, a promising young Witch, undertakes the quest to become the new Apprentice Keeper.

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+

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 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.

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+

Jackie French explores a distant and fascinating world, where the future is not always as it seems, and the king''s displeasure means death.Ages 10 - 14 After Nikko and thetis are taken from their village, their amazing acrobatic skills save them from slavery and make them the focus of the Mycenaean court. the courtiers are in awe of them; the King is enchanted.But thetis may destroy them both when she tells the King a truth about his future that he doesn''t want to hear. Nikko and the daring horse dancer Euridce must travel across Greece to find his sister again - and the extraordinary future that awaits them all - in Delphi.Can one young girl change history?Jackie French waves history, myth and fantasy together into one enthralling tale of horse dancers, earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as love and courage, from beyond recorded time.Ages 10-14

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

Horace''s school assignment is to kill a dragon. How can he get out of this awful mess?

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…

One day, while Mole is out shopping, he overhears Buzzard telling someone that she is going to have Rabbit and his family for dinner. Could this be true? Could Buzzard be plotting to eat the whole Rabbit clan? It''s up to Mole and his brave friend Shrew to get to the bottom of the situation. Illustrations.

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.

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+

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+

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.

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+

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

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+

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+

Companion non fiction title for the bestselling Diary of a Wombat that explores everything you''ve ever wanted to know about wombats. Jackie French loves wombats. She''s been living with and studying them for over 30 years, and they have been featured characters in many of her books. Now her beloved wombats take center stage, as Jackie reveals everything you have ever wanted to know about them - from their zoological history to habitation and habits. Jackie also shares some personal stories from her experiences living with these wonderful creatures. There are also wombat Q&As and wombat jokes sprinkled throughout the book.

Too Little, Too Late