When most American kids think of Australia, they probably think of kangaroos and beaches – not books. But Australian children’s authors are quietly making a big impact on bookshelves around the country – and we think your kids will love their particular blend of adventure, friendship, humor and cracking good stories!
One of our favourites is A.L. Tait whose series The Mapmaker Chronicles is out now. The story is about a reluctant boy who is part of an epic race to map the world back when everyone thought that if they sailed too far they would fall off the edge. As you can imagine, the series is packed full of adventure, fun characters, humour and mystery, but it’s also a quiet story about doing big things, even when you’re small and scared.
We’ve chosen A.L. Tait among 11 other Aussie children’s authors who are writing books that kids love to read. These authors’ series range from fantasy to mystery, from early readers to upper middle-grade, and from stand-alone stories to sensational series. Look for these authors at your local bookstore or online.
Aussie children’s authors
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A. L. Tait
A.L. Tait is the bestselling Australian author of The Mapmaker Chronicles series, The Mapmaker Chronicles is an epic adventure trilogy about a race to map the world, and a boy who discovers more than he ever imagined. Find out more here.
Publisher: Kane Miller
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John Flanagan
With two blockbuster middle-grade fantasy series on offer, Flanagan has the kind of word-of-mouth-between-mums reputation that any author would envy. His Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband series are both full of adventure, humour and heart, appealing to both boys and girls. Find out more here.
Publisher: Penguin Random House
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Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Ask an eight-year-old Australian boy about the funniest books he’s ever read, and chances are the Treehouse series will come up. Andy Griffiths (author) and Terry Denton (illustrator) have created the kind of series that most mums dream about – a series that boys aged 7-10 cannot wait to get their hands on, as each new book builds on to the crazy adventures in the ever-expanding treehouse. Find out more here.
Publisher: Macmillan
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Jacqueline Harvey
Jacqueline Harvey recently sold her one-millionth book, and the popularity of her two series for girls, Alice-Miranda (7-10 years) and Clementine-Rose (4-7 years), continues to grow. In particular, the bestselling Alice-Miranda series, about a perpetually positive seven-and-a-quarter-year-old, has made her one of Australia’s most popular authors. Find out more here.
Publisher: Penguin Random House
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Jackie French
Jackie French is a name synonymous with quality children’s literature. An author, historian, ecologist and lover of wombats (don't know what a wombat is? Find out here), French has also served as Australian Children’s Laureate (2014-15). Her children’s books span many genres, from picture books to historical fiction, and she is one of the few writers to win both literary and children’s choice awards. Find her books here.
Publisher: HarperCollins
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Sally Rippin
The creator of the super-popular Billie B. Brown and Hey Jack series for early readers, Rippin is the author of more than 80 books. The Billie B. Brown books, about the engaging, everyday adventures of a plucky little girl, have sold more than three million copies since first published and are regular fixtures in children’s choice awards. Find out more here.
Publisher: Kane Miller
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Tristan Bancks
A hugely popular children’s author, thanks to several humorous middle-grade series, Tristan Bancks’ first foray into writing middle-grade/lower YA contemporary thrillers garnered him shortlistings in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Of The Year (2015) and Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. On The Run is a high-stakes, suspenseful adventure for readers 11+. Find out more here.
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Judith Rossell
Judith Rossell has been an illustrator and writer of children’s books for more than 20 years. She has written 12 books and illustrated more than 80. Withering-by-Sea, the first book in the Stella Montgomery Intrigue series, was the winner of several awards, including ABIA Book Of The Year for Older Children (2015), and shortlisted for many others, including the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (2015). Set in Victorian England it is a charming, illustrated mystery story that has proven incredibly popular with girls 8-12. Book two in the series, Wormwood Mire, is out now. Find out more.
Publisher: Atheneum Books – Simon & Schuster
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Kate Forsyth
Kate Forsyth’s adult novel Bitter Greens won the 2014 American Library Association Award for Best Historical Novel, but this bestselling author has also written many books for her children. Her latest middle-grade fantasy series, The Impossible Quest, has appeared on many Children’s Choice shortlists. Find out more here.
Publisher: Kane Miller
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R. A. Spratt
Described by Booklist as a ‘must-have series for middle-grade readers’, the Friday Barnes Mysteries series is written by R. A. Spratt, an award-winning author and television writer. Friday Barnes is an 11-yearold mystery-solving girl genius, beloved by girls and boys 8-12. Spratt is also the author of The Adventures Of Nanny Piggins, judged by Booklist to be the ‘Top Of The List’, best youth fiction for 2010. Find out more here.
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
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Susanne Gervay
Hugely influential across all facets of Australian children’s literature, Susanne Gervay is an award-winning author and educational consultant. Her I am Jack series for readers 8-12 focuses on school bullying and rites-of-passage for primary school children. Find out more.
Publisher: Kane Miller
