Jackie French - Australia Historical Fiction

Jackie French is one of those authors synonomous with Australian children's literature.  Her writing career started by accident and I'm so pleased that she did pick up her pen to write.

Jackie has written numerous historical series:

• The Animal Stars Series 
• Fair Dinkum Histories 
• The Secret History Series
• The Matilda Saga  

Today I would like to share a few of her Australian Historical Fiction books with you. (Please note that the links to Book Depository are Affiliate links)

The Night They Stormed Eureka

• Format Paperback
• Pages 304 
• Dimensions 128 x 198 x 20mm | 212g
• Publication date 01 Aug 2009
• Publisher HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Publication City/Country New South Wales, Australia
• ISBN10 0732285410
• ISBN13 9780732285418 

It's the height of the gold rush in Ballarat in 1854. It's a place of dreams, gold and unrest. Join Sam, a homeless teenager who is called to join the Puddlehams who run 'the best cook shop on the diggings'. Sam experiences first hand the power of a united stand which changes her life and the lives of those on the gold fields forever.

The Eureka Stokade is a central part of Australian history and pivotal to our freedoms we have today.

The Night They Stormed Eureka was awarded the Young People's History Award in the 2010 NSW Premier's History Awards.

Tom Appleby, Convict Boy

• For ages 12-17
• Format Paperback | 304 pages
• Dimensions 128 x 196 x 20mm | 281.23g
• Publication date 28 Apr 2004
• Publisher HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Publication City/Country New South Wales, Australia
• ISBN10 0207199426 
• ISBN13 9780207199424

Eight year old chimney sweep Tom Appleby has been convicted of theft and sentenced to deportation to Botany Bay.  He is a member of the First Fleet and arrives in this new and wild country that has little to offer that the English are used to.  Soon after his arrival Sergeant Stanley takes on Tom as a servant and along with Sergeant Stanley and his son they build a new home, set up an orchard and vegetable garden for themselves.  Follow Tom and his new family as they learn what it is like to be pioneers in this new land of Australia.

Tom Appleby, Convict Boy was recoginised in the 2012 Children's Book Council Awards.

 The Goat Who Sailed The World

• For ages 12-17
• Format Paperback | 224 pages
• Dimensions 130 x 197 x 14mm | 158g
• Publication date 24 Jul 2006
• Publisher HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Publication City/Country New South Wales, Australia
• ISBN10 0207200777
• ISBN13 9780207200779 

Isaac is twelve and has joined the HM Bark Endeavour as a master's servant under the command of Lieutenant James Cook as they sail to Tahiti to map the transit of Venus.  Rumours about that the Lieutenant has orders to search and find the Great South Land.
Isaac soon learns that there is an order to thing aboard the Endeavour and that as the new crew member he is not good enough to feed the goat.  The goat he soon learns has laready sailed around the world, seen oceans and lands far off.  As time passes a new friendships grows between Isaac and the ships goat, one that lasts through shipwreck, bushfire, illness and the discovery of new lands.

The Goat Who Sailed The World is book one in the Animal Stars Series.  It is based on the true story of a stroppy animal who sailed with James Cook on the Endeavour. She provided milk for three years on the voyage.   You can read more about this famous goat on Jackie's website.

The Camel Who Crossed Australia

• Format Paperback | 256 pages
• Dimensions 128 x 196 x 14mm | 222.26g
• Publication date 01 Aug 2008
• Publisher HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Publication City/Country New South Wales, Australia
• Language English
• ISBN10 0732285437
• ISBN13 9780732285432 

 The story of Burke and Wills expedition as experienced through one of the pack animals.  The humans call him 'Bell Sing' but the other camels call him "He Who Spits Further then the Wind. Transported from the mountains and deserts of the 'Northwest Frontier' (present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), Bell Sing accompanies explorers Burke and Wills as they try to cross Australia from south to north. Bell Sing has never had a high opinion of humans - or horses. And this expedition is the worst managed caravan he's even been in. Camel handler Dost Mahomet and soldier John King are also beginning to wonder if their leader is competent, or crazy. Bell Sing can smell water over the sandhills on the horizon ... and freedom too. Can the expedition succeed? And who - if anyone - will survive? This is the gritty and true story about one of the most extraordinary and iconic events in Australia's history.​

The Camel Who Crossed Australia is the third book in The Animal Stars Series. You can read more notes on the book on Jackie's website.

This is post two of the Homeschool Review Crew 5 Days of Homeschool Blog Hop 2018.


The other posts in the series can be found here:

• Day 1 - The Switherby Pilgrims and Jamberoo Road.

Looking ahead on the host blog:

Day 1 - Keeping the Read aloud Revival Alive

Day 2 - Fostering Independence

Day 3 - Encouraging Reading

Day 4 - When College Isn't the Next Step

Day 5 - homeschooling with the Brain in Mind

**Please note these links will not be live until after 12 pm USA EST.