Jaclyn Moriarty facts for kids

Jaclyn Moriarty, born in Perth, Australia, in 1968, is a famous Australian writer. She is best known for her books for young adults. She has won important awards like the Davitt Award and the Aurealis Award for Best Children's Fiction.

About Jaclyn Moriarty

Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, Australia. She has four sisters and one brother. Two of her sisters, Liane and Nicola, are also writers. After high school, Jaclyn studied English and Law at the University of Sydney. She continued her studies, earning advanced degrees from Yale University and Cambridge University.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Jaclyn worked as a lawyer for four years. She helped people in the entertainment and media industries. Her first book, Feeling Sorry for Celia, was discovered by Australian author Garth Nix. Jaclyn was married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and they have a son named Charlie. She lives in Sydney today.

The Ashbury/Brookfield Series

The Ashbury/Brookfield Series includes four novels that are connected but not direct sequels. They all feature students from two different schools: Ashbury High, a private school, and Brookfield High, a local public school. Many characters appear in more than one book, but each story is unique. The novels are told through the characters' own writings, like letters, emails, and even exam papers.

The books in this series are:

• Feeling Sorry for Celia (2000)
• Finding Cassie Crazy (2003) (also known as The Year of Secret Assignments in the US)
• The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie (2006) (also known as Becoming Bindy Mackenzie or The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie)
• Dreaming of Amelia (2009) (also known as The Ghosts of Ashbury High in the US)

The Colours of Madeleine Trilogy

This trilogy has some of Jaclyn Moriarty's usual writing styles. For example, it uses different chapters where characters speak in their own voices. It also has a clever sense of humor and a plot that keeps you guessing. The story often changes what you thought was true.

This series is also a fantasy story. It suggests there is a magical parallel world. This world is separate from ours but connected by "cracks." Through these cracks, letters or even people can travel. Just like in her other books, things are not always what they seem. Small details can become very important later on. All three books in this trilogy have been released.

• Winner: Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature, New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards 2015.

Kingdoms & Empires Series

This is another series of books by Jaclyn Moriarty.

• The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone (2017)
• The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars (2018) – This book won the 2019 Griffith University Children's Book Award at the Queensland Literary Awards.
• The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst (2020) – This book was a finalist for the 2021 Children's Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers and the 2021 Children's Book Award at the Queensland Literary Awards.
• The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere (2021)
• The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet (2023) – This book was a finalist for the 2024 Children's Indie Book Award and the 2024 Griffith University Children's Book Award, Queensland Literary Awards.

Other Books

Here are some other books written by Jaclyn Moriarty:

• I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes (2004)
• The Spell Book of Listen Taylor (2007) – This is a young adult version of I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes.
• Gravity is the Thing (2019)