Jacqueline Harvey with Altitude Learning

Join expert writer, public speaker and educator, Jacqueline Harvey, author of 66 books, with sales of over 2 million copies in Australia, for a holiday course like no other.

There are two options on offer for students in Years 3-4 and Years 5-6. Please see details below about the courses and how to book.

Jacqueline Harvey is the author of the bestselling Alice-Miranda, Clementine Rose, Kensy and Max, Willa and Woof and The Girl and the Ghost series as well as six picture books for younger readers. She is published by Penguin Random House – the largest publisher in the world. Jacqueline has narrated 36 audio books and has honed her skills as a voice actor for many years.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she was a teacher, Deputy Head of Abbotsleigh Junior School and Director of Development with a career in education spanning 22 years. She has since gone on to teach writing and speaking to students in Australia, the US, UK, Singapore, NZ and China.

Jacqueline has spoken at many prestigious writing festivals including most recently at the Primary Schools Day program at the Sydney Writers’ Festival (to audiences of up to 2,000 students) and has given the prestigious Colin Simpson Lecture for the Australian Society of Authors.

She is considered one of the best in the business when it comes to speaking and teaching.

Creative Writing Years 3-4 Monday 19 January – Friday 23 January inclusive

$490 plus GST for the week

Course delivery: Face to face

9am – 11am Monday to Friday inclusive

2 hours per day of creative writing

Over the course of five days young writers will explore various aspects of creative writing including:

• Planning for a successful narrative
• Creating memorable characters
• How to write a well-rounded plot
• Using language effectively

Students will participate in short exercises to hone their skills and create a short story. They will receive feedback on their work and have an opportunity to edit and improve their writing.

To express your interest in this course please email me using this link with the subject line: Creative Writing Years 3-4

Full terms and conditions will be sent to you with the enrolment form once the expression of interest email has been received.

Write Well, Speak Well, Present Well Years 5-6 Monday 19 January – Friday 23 January inclusive

$600 plus GST for the week

Course delivery: Face to face

11.30am – 3.00pm Monday to Friday inclusive

11.30am – 1.30pm Creative Writing for Years 5-6 (2 hours)

Over the course of five days young writers will explore various aspects of creative writing including:

• How to combine history and mystery to create a compelling story
• Planning for a successful narrative
• Creating memorable characters
• Effective use of settings
• Designing perfect plots
• Writing like a real writer

Students will create a short piece of historical fiction and be given expert feedback about their work with an opportunity to edit and improve their writing.

1.30pm – 2.00pm 30-minute lunch break

2.00pm – 3.00pm Public speaking, presentation and interview skills

This unique course will guide students to write speeches that will inform and entertain. They will be taught about presentation techniques and ways to best engage an audience.

There will also be a component on interview skills – from how you greet an adult to ways of interacting to best show your skills and potential.

To express your interest in this course please email me using this link with the subject line: Write Well, Speak Well, Present Well Years 5-6

Full terms and conditions will be sent to you with the enrolment form once the expression of interest email has been received.

The post Sydney School Holiday Program Monday 19 January – Friday 23 January (inclusive) appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

What a Dump

by Oliver Alcorn (age 6)

It was such a terrible waste. No literally, we are sitting in a heap of waste. We are at the rubbish tip. I’ll tell you how we got here. My brother Sebastian and I were playing hide and seek and then we were hiding in the bin and then a rubbish truck dumped us in the truck and carried us away! Now we are trying to get back home.

“Which way do we go?” Sebastian asked. “Let’s try the right way was first” I said. “Wait, do you mean go right as in right and left or right as in the right way to go?” Sebastian asked.

“Of course I want to go the right way! Is that left or right?” I asked.

Oh no, we are never going to get out of here. We tried the right. It was the wrong way.

Luckliy, just as I thought we were stuck forever, we saw our parents on the other side of the dump! They explained they got here because they were running from people and they hid in a bin too. My parents and I decided it was actually a nice place to live, here in this dump. There’s lots of food and places to sleep. My parents said this is a nice place to raise kids.  So this is our home now.  My baby sister will be born here next week. Oh, did I mention that we are rats?

A Switch in Time

by Chloe James (age 11)

She probably shouldn’t have opened that drawer after all.

It had been ignored for years tucked beneath the old oak vanity in the study, always locked, always forgotten. Tonight, though, the lock gave way. Rain streaked the windows in long, silvery slants, and the wind whispered through the chimney like a warning from the house itself.

Madeline had been alone for exactly twelve minutes. Just long enough for her grief to curdle into curiosity.

Earlier, she’d been sobbing in the timber-lined room while Aunt Tracey, Uncle Harry, and Mum argued over who got what pointless furniture, chipped china, faded rugs. All meaningless. None of it carried the scent of lavender or the hum of lullabies. None of it held the essence of Gram.

She had wanted to be alone to escape the bickering and remember the only person who had ever truly understood her.

Her eyes landed on the old vanity. It was elegant, aged, gentle in its way like Gram. “No offense, Gram, but you were old,” Madeline whispered with a soft giggle, as if Gram might answer back.

Her fingers brushed the cool brass handle. To her surprise, the drawer slid open with barely a sound. Inside was half a parchment, brittle with age, covered in inked symbols she didn’t recognize. She knew French, Japanese, Hindi, Spanish, even some Polish but this looked like something alien. Curious, she unfolded it.

And then she saw it.

A crystal or perhaps a pearl? She wasn’t sure. It shimmered faintly, as if breathing. Suddenly, the parchment’s symbols began to glow gold, burning softly.

The words disappeared and spoke instead:
“Dark, light,
 Good, bad,
 Sigh, cry,
 Happy, sad.
 A place I would have gone if I wanted to But I didn’t want to leave you.”
intrigued, Madeline whispered them aloud.

As she did, a slither of silver light shimmered in the air, darting side to side like a firefly.
She chased it, leaping after it like a cat. When her fingers finally closed around it, the room vanished.

A blinding white light surrounded her. Memories galloped but they weren’t hers. She saw Gram’s final moments. A girl who looked like Madeline, barefoot and hungry in a war-torn city. A bullet struck her but it didn’t hurt. She wasn’t really there.
She was inside something. Someone.

Then she saw Mum, a baby in Gram’s arms. Aunt Tracey and Uncle Harry as toddlers. And others, six of them familiar, yet unknown. Faces blurred by time.

That’s when she understood.
She was in Gram’s memories. Or perhaps… Gram’s life.
A sudden jolt.
She was no longer herself.
She was an eight year old girl, parentless, standing in the middle of a war. The same girl from the vision, but now alive
“No…” she whispered. “Please, can’t I just live my own life?”

But it was too late.

She had become Gram.

And she really shouldn’t have opened that drawer after all.

Home In The Water
By Alice Farran ( age 12)
I positioned myself on the blocks, ready for the starring pistol to blast through the air. The vast, open lane stretched out in front of me. This was it, the Olympic Games. The adrenaline pumped through my veins. I was 6 when it all began. Mum and Dad had sat all three of us down. They told us that Grandma Penny’s health was deteriorating rapidly. We were moving to Australia so we could be closer to her and Grandpa Lenny. This news rattled us.

We were not ready to leave the comforting Polish streets, frosty snow and icy mornings behind. Within a week we had boarded the plane that would take us to the other side of the world. To our new home. We arrived with around 20 words of English. Mum was fluent and had taught us the bare basics, and Dad was just as bad. We had trouble adjusting at first, snow men were replaced by sand castles and snow flakes had become sun rays. Back home we had been very musical. Maria and I played the violin and Timothy was learning the fiddle. However, things seemed different here.
For the first week we had longed for our old life. For our friends, our house, the familiarity. But that changed when Grandma Penny introduced us to the water. In Poland, the rivers were too chilly for swimming and indoor pools were few and far between. The Australian water was crystal clear and pure. The waves gently lapped onto the shore, and in our new home town, Airlie Beach, there was a pool around every corner.

We were bursting to swim and it was a pain to drag us out of the water. Maria, Timothy and I had lessons twice a week and participated in Nippers every Saturday. Every spare moment was spent in the water, even during winter. My siblings and I rejoiced in the water, it was our favourite thing. The water was comforting and consistent, especially for me. When I turned eleven I joined squad. Pelting down the pool 6 mornings a week was my favourite thing to do. I made friends for life through swimming. It gave me peace and reassurance, serenity and calmness. Swimming made me feel like I belonged.

Before long I was smashing records and dominating the pool. Coaches began to approach me, and mentoring letters flooded the letterbox. Despite Grandma Penny’s declining health, she came along to every swim meet to show her support. Grandma Penny always cheered the loudest and gave the most encouragement. She exceeded every doctors life expectancy and funded my trip
to Sydney for the National Swimming Competition. Grandma Penny was there for me when swimming became tough. Without her, I might have stopped swimming. Without Grandma Penny, I never would have started swimming. Because we would not have moved to Australia.

When I was fourteen, we went back to Poland for a holiday. But the windswept streets were not the same anymore. I was no longer desperate to feel the bitter snow underfoot, nor did I miss the arctic climate. Australia was my home now. The water was where I belonged. The pistol sounded and I dove in, splashing into the water. Stroke, stroke, stroke, breath, stroke, stroke… I let the rhythm sink in. Lap after lap. I swam with passion and spirit.

The final leg began. My stroke sped up. My kick was faster. I raced towards the wall. My fingers grazed the tiled surface. I brought my head up. The water was flat beside me.

The crowd erupted as I stepped onto the podium in my green and gold tracksuit. The anthem played and I felt pride wash over me. I spotted Grandma Penny off to the side. She had tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. I dangled my medal around her neck. “Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for always supporting me, and encouraging me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to swim.”

“Thank you for allowing me to find where I belong.”

The post The winners of the Jacqueline Harvey Writing Competition for 2025! appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

Dymocks Kids Top 51

It’s time to vote for this year’s Dymocks Top 51 books! If you’ve enjoyed The Girl and the Ghost or maybe you’re a fan of Alice-Miranda, Kensy and Max or Willa and Woof, I’d love to have your vote. You also have the chance to win one of 5 x $51 Dymocks Vouchers which you can spend in store or online (so even if you don’t live near a Dymocks store – it’s still worth entering.

Here’s a screenshot of how to vote! Click HERE to go to the website or on the picture below. You have until 31 July to cast your votes!

The post Vote now for this year’s Dymocks Top 51 for your chance to win one of 5 x $51 gift cards! appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

I, <<insert your name>> have not used any form of AI to assist with the writing of my story.

The competition closes on Sunday 31 August at 11.59pm AEST. You must subscribe to my newsletter to be eligible for entry. 

The winner in each category will receive their choice of one of my books (signed) plus some fun extras and one OVERALL winner will receive a ZOOM session with me which they can either donate to their class or have as a one on one writing lesson where you can ask me anything!

Kindergarten to Year 2 – Write a story no more than 250 words that begins: 
‘It was such a terrible waste…’

Years 3-6 – Write a story no more than 500 words that begins: 
‘She probably shouldn’t have opened that drawer after all…’

Years 7-10 – Write a story no more than 750 words on the theme of BELONGING. 

So get writing and make sure to enter your story before the closing date! This photo is just for inspiration – you don’t have to use it!

The post Announcing my Writing Competition for 2025! appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

The post Launch event for The Girl and the Ghost – A very French High Tea in Sydney! Sunday May 4 appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

In the meantime, I’d like to introduce Josephine, Daisy, the Golden Retriever and Louis – the ghost!

The post The Girl and the Ghost Cover Reveal! appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

I am really excited to let you know that I have a new series coming out next year. It’s aimed at upper primary and lower high school readers and I think anyone who has been a fan of Alice-Miranda or Kensy and Max is going to love it. The main character is an almost 13 year old girl from Sydney, called Josephine Eloise Thomas but her family and friends call her Jet (her initials). She and her father, Matt, stepmother, Ellie (who she adores and is not the least bit evil) and her 18 year old brother, Teddy move to a chateau (a castle) in the southwest of France (where Josephine’s birth mother, Aurelia came from). I can give you a little blurb here and a photo that has been part of the inspiration for the story. There’s actually a true story behind why the ghost Josephine meets is a prince (I met a real live prince in Singapore last year) but I will save that for later. In the meantime, here’s a tiny taste.

She snaps the case shut. Just as quickly as he appeared he’s gone. Surely, she’s imagined him. That’s the only possible explanation. Because boys don’t live in lockets. Not unless they’re ghosts. And ghosts aren’t real. Are they?

When Josephine Eloise Thomas moves with her parents to a chateau in the southwest of France, she expects many things – adventures, inspiration for the stories she loves to write and maybe learning more about her French mother, who died when Josephine was a toddler.

What she doesn’t expect is to find a beautiful gold locket with the ghost of young Louis XVII trapped inside!

She also makes a friend in Gabriel, the impossibly handsome grandson of the local baker (and definitely not an apparition!)

With a ghost to deal with, and a mystery to solve, the first book in this delightful new middle grade series is bound to appeal to readers of the Alice Miranda series.

So I hope that you’re all as excited as I am! We’re just starting to work on the cover which I think will be fabulous.

The post I have a new series coming! appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

Are you an avid reader, always on the lookout for new kids and YA books? If you answered yes, you’ll be thrilled to know that you can now enter the draw to win all 50 of Australia’s Top 50 kids’ books for 2023!

To enter, you just need to vote for your all-time favourite kids or YA book. It can be international or local, old or new, classic or debut – it just needs to be the kids or YA book you love the most.

To make your vote count be sure to write a specific title, not just “Kensy and Max” or another series name, for example – you’d need to write the full title eg Kensy and Max Breaking News. You may only vote for books that are currently available (in print) – all of mine are!

Once voting has closed, Better Reading will collate the 50 most-voted-for books, and then seven lucky winners will each receive a pack of all 50 titles.

Voting ends on Sunday 23 July at 5pm AEST, so vote now – CLICK HERE OR IN THE PICTURE ABOVE TO GO TO THE LINK!

I’d love to see Alice-Miranda or Kensy and Max or Willa and Woof on the list but you have to vote for a specific book. I’d recommend voting for the first book in each series (if you would like to vote for my books of course!).

The post Better Reading Kids VOTE NOW for this year’s TOP 50 books for your change to win all 50 titles! appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

The FAB Award celebrates a brilliant year of books written by Australian authors, by uncovering Australia’s Favourite Australian Book of 2022, as chosen by you! There will be two rounds; the Opening Round featuring a longlist and final top 10 shortlist. You can only vote once per round, but you can pick as many books as you like across different book categories and show support for all of your favourite reads!

The Opening Round closes at 23.59 on Sunday 5th February so get voting now to make sure your vote counts!

Come back on Thursday 9th February to vote in the final Top 10 round and decide which book will become Australia’s Favourite Australian Book of 2022! To vote CLICK HERE or on the picture below.

The post Willa and Woof is in the running for Booktopia’s Favourite Australian Book of 2022! VOTE NOW! appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.

The post I’m visiting bookshops in January in Sydney and Melbourne – see details below! appeared first on Jacqueline Harvey.