Jackie French facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jackie French
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| Born | Anne French 29 November 1953 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Author |
| Alma mater | Brisbane State High School |
| Genre | Juvenile fiction, historical fiction, gardening books |
| Notable works | |
| Spouse | Bryan Sullivan |
| Partner | None |
| Children | None |
Jacqueline Anne French, better known as Jackie French, is a famous Australian author. She has written more than 200 books for both kids and adults. You might know her for popular books like Diary of a Wombat, ...'s Daughter, and The Girl from Snowy River.
Jackie writes many types of stories, including exciting tales from Australia's past called historical fiction. Many of her books are so good that they are used in schools to help teach the Australian Curriculum. She lives in Braidwood, New South Wales, with her husband, Bryan Sullivan.
Contents
Early Life
Jackie French was born in Sydney, Australia, on November 29, 1953. She grew up in the city of Brisbane and went to Brisbane State High School. Her family name was originally Ffrench, but she and her mother changed it to French.
A Writer's Journey
How It All Began
Jackie French started writing her first children's book, Rain Stones, when she was 30 years old. At the time, she was living in a shed and needed money to get her car registered. That first book was the beginning of an amazing career!
Famous Books and Stories
Many of Jackie's books tell stories about Australian history. Some of these include Nanberry: Black Brother White, A Waltz for Matilda, and The Girl from Snowy River. Her stories bring the past to life in an exciting way.
Her books ...'s Daughter and Pete the Sheep were so popular they were turned into plays. The play for ...'s Daughter was even performed in the United States.
Besides writing books, Jackie has also written for magazines like the Australian Women's Weekly. She also used to appear on the TV show Burke's Backyard, where she shared tips about gardening.
Awards and Honors
Jackie French is a highly celebrated author. She has won more than 60 awards for her books in Australia and in other countries.
Major Achievements
- Her book ...'s Daughter won the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Award in 2000. It also won awards in the United Kingdom and Japan.
- Diary of a Wombat, which features pictures by Bruce Whatley, has been a massive success. It has been translated into 23 languages and was a bestseller in The New York Times. It has won many awards in both Australia and the USA.
- In 2014 and 2015, she was named the Australian Children's Laureate. This special role is given to an author to promote the importance of reading for young people.
- In 2015, she was named the Senior Australian of the Year for her amazing work.
- In 2016, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia. This is a very high honor given to Australians for their outstanding contributions to the country.
Life Outside of Writing
Jackie French lives with her husband, Bryan, on a property near Braidwood, New South Wales. They have turned their land into a special refuge to protect rare and endangered animals in their area.
Helping Wombats and Kids
For 40 years, Jackie has studied wombats. She is an ambassador for The Wombat Foundation, a group that raises money to protect wombats, especially the endangered Northern hairy-nosed wombat. The money she earns from her book The Hairy-Nosed Wombats Find a New Home goes to help save these animals.
Jackie is also passionate about helping children learn to read. She is dyslexic, which means she has difficulty with reading. Because of her own experience, she wrote a book called I Spy a Great Reader to give parents and teachers new ideas for helping kids with dyslexia learn to love books.
