Jacqueline Anne "Jackie" French (born 29 November 1953) is an award-winning Australian writer of children's books, and books on gardening. 

Jackie French was born in Sydney and grew up in Brisbane. She moved to the bush in her early twenties. She likes gardening and has been on the television series Burke's Backyard. She has written more than one hundred books. These books include story books (fiction), and books about true things (non-fiction). Jackie lives  at Araluen, New South Wales. 

She began writing when she was 30, to make money to pay for her car. At the time, she was living in a tin shed with a black snake named "Gladys", and a wombat named "Smudge". Jackie also appears regularly on radio and television.

Picture books

Shaggy Gully books
pictures drawn by Bruce Whatley

 Diary of a Wombat (2003)
 Pete the Sheep (2004), also known as Pete the Sheep-Sheep in the US
 The Secret World of Wombats (2005)
 Josephine Wants to Dance (2006), also known as Josephine Loves to Dance in the US
 The Shaggy Gully Times (2007)
 Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip (2008)
 Baby Wombat's Week (2009)

Other picture books
 Hairy Charlie and the Frog (1994)
 Hairy Charlie and the Pumpkin (1994)
 Mermaids (1995)
 Pigs Don't Fly (2000)
 The Secret Life of Santa Claus (2001)
 Pear-Pinching Pamela (also known as Too Many Pears!) (2003), pictures drawn by Bruce Whatley
 Bears Don't Bounce! (2003)
 Queen Victoria's Underpants (2010)
 The Tomorrow Book (2011)
 A Day to Remember (2012)

Children's fiction

Collections of short stories
 Rainstones (1991)
 Alien Games (1995)
 Mind's Eye (1996)
 Dancing with Ben Hall and Other Yarns (1997)
 The Book of Unicorns (1997)
 Ride the Wild Wind (2002)

Café on Callisto books
 The Café on Callisto (2006)
 Space Pirates on Callisto (2006)
 Vampire Slugs on Callisto (2006)

The Children of the Valley books

 The Music from the Sea (1993)
 The City in the Sand (1993)
 The House of a Hundred Animals (1993)
 The Metal Men (1994)
 The Tribe that Sang to Trees (1996)

Phredde the Phaery books
pictures drawn by Stephen Michael King

 A Phaery Named Phredde and Other Stories to Eat with a Banana (1998)
 Phredde and a Frog Named Bruce and Other Stories to Eat with a Watermelon (1999)
 Phredde and the Zombie Librarian and Other Stories to Eat with a Blood Plum (2000)
 Phredde and the Temple of Gloom - A Story to Eat with a Mandarin (2001)
 Phredde and the Leopard-Skin Librarian - A Story to Eat with a Dinosaur Apple (2002)
 Phredde and the Purple Pyramid - A Story to Eat with a Passionfruit (2003)
 Phredde and the Vampire Footie Team - A Story to Eat with an Orange at Half Time (2004)
 Phredde and the Ghostly Underpants - A Story to Eat with a Mango (2005)
 Phredde and the Runaway Ghost Train (2005)

 A Box Full of Phaeries, Phreddes and Fruit (contains the first three books put together into one) (2003)

School for Heroes books
pictures drawn by Andrea F. Potter

 Lessons for a Werewolf Warrior (2009)
 Dance of the Deadly Dinosaurs (2010)

Wacky Families books
 My Mum the Pirate (2003)
 My Dog the Dinosaur (2003)
 My Dad the Dragon (2004)
 My Uncle Gus the Garden Gnome (2004)
 My Uncle Wal the Werewolf (2005)
 My Gran the Gorilla (2006)
 My Auntie Chook the Vampire Chicken (2006)
 My Pa the Polar Bear (2007)

 One Big Wacky Family (2008) (contains the first four books put together into one)
 Wonderfully Wacky Families (2009) (contains the last four books put together into one)

Fiction based on history

 Somewhere Around the Corner (1994)
 Soldier on the Hill (1997)
 Daughter of the Regiment (1998)
 Hitler's Daughter (1999)
 Lady Dance (2000)
 Valley of Gold (2003)
 How the Finnegans Saved the Ship (2001)
 The White Ship (2002)
 Tom Appleby, Convict Boy (2004)
 They Came on Viking Ships (2005)
 Macbeth and Son (2006)
 Pharaoh (2007)
 The Night They Stormed Eureka (2009)
 Oracle (2010)
 Nanberry: Black Brother White (2011)
 Pennies for Hitler (June 2012)

Other children's fiction
 Smudge (1988)
 The Roo that Won the Melbourne Cup (1991)
 The Boy Who Had Wings (1992)
 Walking the Boundaries (1993)
 Annie's Pouch (1995), pictures drawn by Bettina Guthridge
 The Secret Beach (1995)
 A Wombat Named Bosco (1996), pictures drawn by Bettina Guthridge
 Beyond the Boundaries (1996) (the book that comes after Walking the Boundaries)
 The Warrior: The Story of a Wombat (1996), pictures drawn by Bettina Guthridge
 Summerland (1997)
 Felix Smith has Every Right to Be a Crocodile (1998)
 There's an Echidna at the Bottom of my Garden (1998), pictures drawn by Bettina Guthridge
 There's a Wallaby at the Bottom of my Garden (1999), pictures drawn by Bettina Guthridge
 Charlie's Gold (1999)
 Tajore Arkle (1999)
 Burt and the Band (2000), pictures drawn by Beth Norling
 Captain Purrfect (2000), pictures drawn by Gus Gordon
 The Space Bug (2002)
 The Black House (2003)
 One Perfect Day (2006), pictures drawn by Peter Bray
 The Day I Was History (2007)
 The Wombat and the Great Poohjam (2009)

Children's non-fiction

Animal Heroes books
 The Goat who Sailed the World (2006)
 The Dog who Loved a Queen (2007)
 The Camel who Crossed Australia (2008)
 The Donkey who Carried the Wounded (2009)
 The Horse who Bit a Bushranger (2010)

Fair Dinkum Histories

 Shipwreck, Sailors & 60,000 Years (2006)
 Grim Crims & Convicts (2005)
 Rotters and Squatters (2007)
 Gold, Graves and Glory (2007)
 A Nation of Swaggies & Diggers (2008)
 Weevils, War & Wallabies (2009)
 Rockin', Rollin, Hair & Hippies (2010)
 Booms, Busts and Bushfires (2011)

Other children's non-fiction
 Twelve Bottles Popping: Home-Made Presents to Flip Your Lid (1994)
 The Little Book of Big Questions (1998)
 How the Aliens from Alpha Centauri Invaded My Maths Class and Turned Me Into a Writer (1998)
 How to Guzzle Your Garden (1999)
 Stamp, Stomp, Whomp (2000)
 The Book of Challenges (2000)
 The Fascinating History of Your Lunch (2001)
 Big Burps, Bare Bums and Other Bad-Mannered Blunders (2003)
 To the Moon and Back (2004)
 How to Scratch a Wombat (2005)
 The Wonderful World of Wallabies and Kangaroos (2008)
 How High Can a Kangaroo Hop? (2008)

Fictional books for teenagers and young adults

Outlands books

 In the Blood (2001)
 Blood Moon (2002)
 Flesh and Blood (also known as Blood Will Tell) (2004)

Fiction based on history

 A Rose for the Anzac Boys (2008)
 A Waltz for Matilda (2010)

Other books for teenagers and young adults
 Missing You, Love Sara (2000)
 Dark Wind Blowing (2001)

Adult fiction
 A War for Gentlemen (2003)
 Searching for Charlie (2003)

Adult books

Books about gardening

 Organic Gardening in Australia (1986)
 Natural Rose Growing: An Organic Approach to Gardening (1988)
 The Organic Garden Doctor (1988)
 Natural Control of Household Pests (1990)
 The Wilderness Garden: A Radical New View of Australian Growing Methods (1993)
 The Salad Garden (1993)
 Organic Control of Household Pests (1993)
 Organic Control of Common Weeds, Aird Books (1993), second version released 1997
 The Earth Gardeners Companion: A Month-by-Month Guide (1993)
 The Chook Book (1993)
 A to Z of Useful Plants (1993)
 New Plants from Old (1994)
 Book of Lavender (1994)
 Book of Mint (1994)
 Book of Rosemary (1994)
 Book of Thyme (1994)
 Book of Chilli (1994)
 Book of Garlic (1994)
 Book of Parsley (1994)
 Book of Basil (1994)
 Jackie French's Guide to Companion Planting in Australia and New Zealand (1994)
 Switch! A Book of Home-Made Power, Water, and Garbage Systems (1994)
 Household Self Sufficiency (1994)
 Yates Guide to Herbs (1998)
 New Plants from Old (1994)
 Back Yard Self Sufficiency (1995)
 The Organic Garden Problem Solver (1995)
 Plants That Never Say Die (1995)
 Soil Food: 3,764 Ways to Feed Your Garden (1995)
 Jackie French's Top Ten Vegetables (1995)
 Jackie French's Cook Book (1995)
 The Pumpkin Book (1996)
 Yates Guide to Edible Gardening (1996)
 Growing Flowers Naturally (1996)
 Making Money from Your Garden (1997)
 Yates Guide to Herbs (1998)
 Jackie French's Household Herb Book (1998)
 Natural Solutions (1999)
 The Best of Jackie French: A Practical Guide to Everything from Aphids to Zuchinni Chocolate Cake (2000)
 The House That Jackie Built (2001)
 Earthly Delights (2001)
 New Plants from Old: Simple, Natural, No-Cost Plant Propagation (2007), second edition of A to Z of Useful Plants (1994)
 The Wilderness Garden: Beyond Organic Gardening (2007), second version of The Wilderness Garden: A Radical New View of Australian Growing Methods (1993)
 The Earth Gardener's Companion (2009)

Other books for adults
 Seasons of Content (1998), with pictures by Gwen Harrison
 Rocket Your Child into Reading (2004)

Awards
To the Moon and Back (Bryan Sullivan and Jackie French, illus. by Gus Gordon)
 2005 - Children's Book Council of Australia Awards Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

Diary of a Wombat (Bruce Whatley and Jackie French)
 2004 USA Benjamin Franklin Award
 2004 USA Lemmee Award
 2004 KIND Award USA
 2003 Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association (ALA)
 2003 Voted Favourite Picture Book of the Year in the Cuffie Awards in the USA
 2003 Tied with Diary of a Worm'' for Funniest Book in the Cuffie Awards in the USA
 Number two on the 'Best 20 picture books for 2003' in the USA
 COOL Award, for Best Picture Book, voted by the kids of the ACT
 2003 Winner Young Australian Readers' Award
 2003 Winner KOALA Award for Best Picture Book
 2003 ABA/A A Neilson Book of the Year
 2003 Honour Book,  Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Picture Book of the Year
Shortlisted - books that were on the list to receive an award, but were unsuccessful.
 2004 - Bilby Award
 2003 - KOALA, COOL and YABBA awards, Children's Book Council of Australia Awards for Picture Book of the Year, Australian Publisher's Association Book Design Awards for Best Designed Children's Picture Book, and also for a Galley Club Award, Picture Book category of the Children's Choice Book Awards

The Secret World of Wombats
 Shortlisted - 2006: NSW Premier's Literary Awards Patricia Wrightson Prize

They Came on Viking Ships
 Shortlisted - 2006: for New South Wales Premier's History Awards - Young People's History Prize

My Dad the Dragon
 Shortlisted - 2005: Children's Book Council Awards, the Younger Readers Award and Picture Book of the Year

Tom Appleby, Convict Boy
 2005 Children's Book Council Awards - winner of the Younger Readers Award
 Shortlisted - 2005: Picture Book of the Year

Pete the Sheep (Jackie French and Bruce Whatley)
 2005 KOALA (Kids Own Australian Literature Awards)

Hitler's Daughter
 2003 Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year, Young Readers
 2003 Named a "Blue Ribbon" book by the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books in the USA.
 UK National Literacy Association WOW! Award
 Shortlisted
 2004: COOL and Yabba Awards
 2002: KOALA, COOL and YABBA awards, the Older Readers' category of the Children's Choice Book Awards
 2001: the Older Readers' category of the Bilby Award, YABBAs and the WAYRBA.
 2000: the Sanderson Young Adult Audio Book of the Year Awards: Vision Australia Library

How to Guzzle Your Garden
 Shortlisted - 2000: Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Eve Pownall Award for Information

Flesh and Blood
 2004 Aurealis Award for Fantasy and Science Fiction - Best Young Adult Novel

Valley of Gold
 2004 - CBCA Notable Book

Ride the Wild Wind
 2003 - CBCA Notable Book
 Shortlisted - 2003: New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards - Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature

In the Blood
 2002 - ACT Book of the Year

Blood Will Tell
 Shortlisted - 2004: Aurealis Award

CafÈ on Callisto
 2000 - winner of the Aurealis Award

Lady Dance
 2001 - winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia, Notable Book and Book of the Year

Stamp, Stomp, Whomp
 2001 - winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia, Notable Book and Book of the Year

Missing You, Love Sara
 2001 - Notable Book: CBCA Book of the Year
 Shortlisted
 2002 - for the KOALAs, YABBA
 2001 - West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) in the Older Readers' category

Too Many Pears!
 2004 - CBC Notable book
 Shortlisted - COOl and KOALA Awards

Daughter of the Regiment
 Shortlisted - 1999: Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year, Young Readers

Somewhere Around the Corner
 1995 - Honour Book, Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year, Young Readers
 1994 - Highly Commended in the Annual Australian Family Therapists' Award for Children's Literature

Walking the Boundaries
 1994 - Notable Book, CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers
 Shortlisted in the Junior Section of the Australian Multicultural Children's Literature Awards

Rain Stones
 Shortlisted
 1993 - Primary Age Group of the WAYRBAs
 1992 - Children's Book Council of Australia Awards - Book of the Year, Young Readers
 1991 - Children's Book Award in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards

The Roo that Won the Melbourne Cup
 1992 - Notable Book, CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers

References

Other websites
Official website
Publisher's website 
CBC Award website 

1953 births
Living people
Australian children's writers
Writers from Sydney
Australian novelists