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Jess Black
Author | Grade 1-6
New South Wales

Jess Black is an award-winning children’s author of over fifty fictional children’s books. Jess has written picture books, junior fiction and middle grade level fiction.
Jess has written The Colourful World of Poppy Starr Olsen, Time Out! (Who Dunnit, Eddie Woo? series), the Pepper Creek Ponies series, the Tales of Mr Walker series, The Keeper of the Crystals Series, The Little Paws series. Jess is the co-author of The Kaboom Kid series, The Bindi Irwin Wildlife Adventure series, and the Animal Tales series.
Jess has written four picture books – The Bold Australian Girl, Moon Dance, Logan’s Big Move and The Sea in Me.
In 2023 Jess released a new black and white high contrast board book series with Harper Collins. The first three of six titles are Aussie Bird Babies, Aussie Farm Babies and Bouncing Aussie Animals.
In 2024 Jess has a new football series being released with Mackenzie Arnold, the first two books are being released in July.
Jess lives in Newcastle with her husband, two daughters, a rescue dog and a tyrannical cat.

Awards:
The Tales of Mr Walker
Australian Book Industry Awards
LONGLISTED  •  2019  •  BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN
CBCA Book of the Year Awards
Mr Walker and the Dessert Delight:
CBCA Book of the Year Awards
NOTABLE BOOK  •  2020  •  YOUNGER READERS
The Tales of Mr Walker
CBCA Book of the Year Awards
NOTABLE BOOK  •  2019  •  YOUNGER READERS

Books by Jess Black

COMING SOON! Mackenzie Arnold 1: Finders Keepers

Best Suited 7-12 Years
Meet Matildas star goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold as a kid and follow her football and friendship adventures.

Macca is in Year 6 and loving life. She plays fullback for her beloved Seaport Strikers, skates and loves hanging out with her mates – she’s always up for a kick-around in the park and a good-natured prank. But when Macca is late for training one too many times, injures herself skating and has an unexpected run-in with a local resident, Coach questions her commitment to the team and benches her for a big game.

How can Macca make it up to Coach and prove that football is something she’s serious about? When the Strikers’ goalie is too sick to play, Macca puts on the gloves and steps up.

 

COMING SOON! Mackenzie Arnold 2: Caught in the Middle

Best Suited 7-12 Years
Meet Matildas star goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold as a kid and follow her football and friendship adventures.

Mackenzie Arnold loves playing football with the Seaport Strikers. She’s now the team’s goalkeeper and is starting to like it. But when a classmate bets Macca that she can’t keep a clean sheet against the Strikers’ strongest competitors in the biggest game of the season, can she come through? A new friend and teammate from Argentina brings added skill to the team, but not everyone is happy.

Can Macca bring the team together and stop the ball getting past her?

COMING SOON! Mackenzie Arnold 3: The Big Leap

Best Suited 7-12 Years
Meet Matildas star goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold as a kid and follow her football and friendship adventures.

Mackenzie Arnold loves playing football with the Seaport Strikers. As the holidays begin, she heads off to Goal Getters Camp with some of her teammates and best friends – and she can’t wait! They will all have to be at their sharpest as they meet new kids, deal with unexpected challenges and solve a mystery.

Can Macca shake off her nerves, stay focused and take the next step in her goalie journey?

COMING SOON! Mackenzie Arnold 4: Game Day

Best Suited 7-12 Years
Meet Matildas star goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold as a kid and follow her football and friendship adventures.

Mackenzie Arnold loves playing football with the Seaport Strikers. As the team works well together on the pitch, a surprise challenge at Macca’s birthday party leads to tension among the friends. What starts as a friendly football game at the park soon spirals out of control! It’s Macca versus Ryder, with the Strikers split down the middle. Anything could happen.

When the game comes down to a penalty shootout, can Macca stop the ball and hold onto her friends?

COMING SOON! The Sea in Me

Best Suited 3+ Years
A breathtaking story of finding the calm and quiet amid the bustle and noise of everyday life.

The sounds from above are hazy and lost to me.
I can only hear my heartbeat, slow and steady.

When your heart beats faster and the noises close in, it’s time to make a break for it and find the sea within. Dive deep and look, listen and feel all the creatures as they block out the distractions and allow you to listen only to the voice inside you.

Pepper Creek Ponies 1- A New Friend

Best Suited for ages 7-14 Years
When Abby moves from the city to the country, she misses her old life. Despite her fear of horses, she visits Pepper Creek Pony Club in the hope of making friends. But Abby quickly learns that being a horse-girl is harder than she thought. Will Abby ever make a new friend?

Pepper Creek Ponies 2- Riding Out

Best Suited for ages 7-14 Years
Shelley is ready for an overnight riding adventure! Shelley can’t wait for the Pony Club Ride Out—three days and nights of riding and camping under the stars. But the week before the big event, her pony, Banjo, starts limping. Will Shelley be stuck at home while her friends have the adventure of a lifetime?

Pepper Creek Ponies 3- To The Rescue

Best Suited 7-14 Years
Abby can’t believe she is finally going to get her own pony! But Piper has a bad feeling about the farm they visit, so she comes up with a plan. But will Abby need a pony at all when Pepper Creek Pony Club might shut down?

The Colourful World of Poppy Starr Olsen

Best Suited 9 – 11 years
My name is Poppy Starr Olsen. I’m twelve. I’m a bit of a dreamer. Okay, a lot of
a dreamer. I love drawing and being creative. I also swim, surf and skate. And, well, this is my story . . .

You’ll meet my family. They’re really loud but I love them to bits. And you’ll meet my friends – they’re so cool.

There’s some drama in my story, too. Think- an awesome skate comp I’m not allowed to enter, but then I am and it’s going to be cancelled! I have to figure out how to save the comp and work on my best tricks in the bowl and keep up with my school work and create my art. There’s so much to do! But it’s an epic adventure.

Time Out!

Best Suited 7-12 Years
Eddie Woo Super Sleuth: a mind for maths and a nose for adventure A treasure hunt, a piano key, ciphers, a puzzle from the past … Eddie Woo and his best friends Rusty and DT must find clues, crack a musical mystery, scale a lighthouse, discover a secret cave and find long-forgotten gold. But they are not the only ones searching for it…..

Kitty is not a Cat- Lights Out

Best suited for ages 5-8 Years
Some children hate going to bed. Not Kitty! Kitty falls asleep every night curled up snug as a bug in a bed box. That is until one spooky night when Kitty’s nightlight goes missing and her fear of the dark comes creeping out.

Kitty is not a Cat- Teddy’s Bear

Best suited for ages 5-8 Years
The cats decide that Kitty needs a teddy bear, but mistakenly end up getting her a grizzly bear instead. Her very own grizzly bear!! Kitty and the bear spend a fun-filled afternoon together, but it doesn’t take long for Kitty to realise that having a grizzly bear for a pet may be a little more trouble than she had anticipated.

Kitty is not a Cat: Bath Time

Best suited for ages 5-8 Years
The cats realise that Kitty needs to have a bath, but that’s easier said than done in a house full of cats who hate water!

Kitty is not a Cat: Hired Hound

Best suited for ages 5-8 Years
The cats’ neighbours, The Stinkletons, hire a guard dog to keep the cats quiet. Now reduced to creating as little noise as possible, they need a solution fast, and as usual it comes in the form of a little girl in a cat suit.

The Tales of Mr Walker

Best Suited for ages 6-8 years
On a brilliant autumn’s day, Mr Walker arrives at the grandest hotel in town. While things get off to a wobbly start, this charming labrador is determined to put his best paw forward. And it’s just as well because the most unexpected adventures await . . .

Mr Walker Braves the Night

Best Suited for ages 6-8 years
Halloween is just around the corner and with it comes the promise of treats and walks. Mr Walker can’t wait! That is, until his toy wombat disappears without a trace and strange noises start up in the night. Is it Mr Walker’s imagination or is there a guest of the spooky kind visiting the hotel . . . ?

Mr Walker and the Perfect Mess

Best Suited for ages 6-8 years
One of the hotel’s most treasured staff members is leaving and, while Mr Walker is sad to see Josephine go, he is determined to make her last week a memorable one. If only he can think of the perfect present. First things first – to cope with the summer heatwave and prepare for the Guide Dogs fundraiser. Oof, our little labrador is going to need a nap after this adventure!

Mr Walker Gets the Inside Scoop

Best Suited for ages 6-8 years
It’s all systems go as the staff prepare for the arrival of an important reviewer. This could be make or break and, with the manager away on holiday, it’s up to Mr Walker to be at his charming best.

Mr Walker and the Dessert Delight

Best Suited for ages 6-8 years
There’s a special anniversary celebration happening at the hotel and everyone is excited – especially Mr Walker!

Eve and the Runaway Unicorn: Keeper of the Crystals book 1

Best Suited for ages 6-10 Years old
Eve is staying with her grandmother and her only choice in playmate is Oscar, the boy from next door. The lure of the forbidden attic in her Nan’s house proves too much for Eve and Oscar and they sneak upstairs to explore. When Eve finds a small crystal figurine of a unicorn it acts as a portal into another world. Eve and Oscar find themselves in the desert of Panthor where unicorns are now enslaved, land turned to desert and people forced to become desert nomads. How can Eve and Oscar survive in a land where panthers and people communicate and where an evil king has complete control of every living being? More importantly, how will they ever get home again?

Eve and the Fiery Phoenix: Keeper of the Crystals Book 2

Best Suited for ages 6-10 Years old
When Eve and Oscar are exploring an old curio shop, Eve finds a small crystal figurine of a tiger. Before she realises what it is, she touches it and finds herself hurtling down a fast-flowing river towards a steep waterfall. Its happening again! Oscar and Eve have entered the dense jungle of Griffid, where tigers rule and every step seems treacher.

Eve and the Mermaid’s Tears: Keeper of the Crystals Book 3

Best Suited for ages 6-10 Years old
Eve and Oscar find themselves in a world where cut throat pirates rule the waves and where the language of the sea is the only tongue spoken. Its the mermaids who need help. Theyre being captured so that their tears can be sold as treasure. But if these protectors of the ocean disappear then the balance of the ocean is upset and all marine life is under threat. Can Eve and Oscar find their sea legs and help the mermaids?

Eve and the Last Dragon Keeper and the Crystals Book 4

Best Suited for ages 6-10 Years old
Eve turns up unannounced at her Nan’s house with Oscar in tow. It’s time to open the wooden box. The one her Nan had warned them was far too dangerous to go near. A crystal dragon figurine thrusts Oscar and Eve into a medieval world of dragon slayers, fire breathing dragons, castles and moats. It’s a world at war.

Eve and the Griffin’s Gold: Keeper of Crystals Book 5

Best Suited for ages 6-10 Years old
Eve is accompanied everywhere she goes by her kindred dragon Ingvar. She realises all is not well when her Gran turns up at her house in the city in the middle of the night to warn her of danger. Eve’s friend Oscar and Ingvar find themselves transported to the world of Dracburn where riches are coveted and where the Griffins guard the greatest treasure of all, the Tree of Life. But the Griffins are under attack from an army who seek eternal life. Can Eve and her friends help the Griffins before all life on Dracburn is wiped out forever?

Eve and the Hidden Giant: Keeper of the Crystals Book 6

Best Suited for ages 6-10 Years old
Eve is back in Marigold for the holidays. While out bushwalking, Eve, Oscar and Ingvar happen upon a strangely-shaped rocky outcrop. It looks like a giants chair, and when Eve sits in it, her hand touches upon a small crystal in the shape of a giant embedded in the rock. Suddenly a huge wind comes out of nowhere and lifts them up. It carries them to the land of giants. The wind which brought them was blown by Trotag, a young giant caught between two worlds. All is not well in the land of giants, for the rogue giants buried under the ground are rising up, causing havoc, creating volcanoes and earthquakes. The creator giants dont know what to dofor their world, the world they took so much care in making, is being destroyed.

Eve and the Rebel Fairies: Keeper of the Crystals Book 7

Best Suited for ages 6-10 Years old
When Eve discovers a miniature pink door and a fairy crystal, something strange begins to happen. Behind the door Eve and her friend Oscar are greeted by a green-faced pixie, and taken into an enchanted world. Orla, Queen of the Fairies, asks Eve and Oscar to help stop two rebel fairies from destroying the Tree of Life. Will Eve and Oscar be able to help the fairy kingdom?

Eve and the Kraken Hunt: Keeper of the Crystals Book 8

Best Suited for ages 6-10 Years old
Keeper of the Crystals is an adventure fantasy series full of secrets and mystery. Eve and Oscar, two unlikely friends, accidentally tap into the power of crystal. They are thrust into different and dangerous world where unicorns, tigers, dragons and panthers communicate with people and where native communities and their way of life are under threat. What are the secrets of The Crystal Keeper and why does Eve have these powers?

Moon Dance

Best Suited 3+ Years
Somewhere in Eucalypt Gully, Where exactly, no-one knows, A group of animals gather, Shh! Follow them on tippy toes…

Bilby is doing the moonwalk, Wombat leads the conga, Kangaroo is thumping the drum beat, and no-one twirls quite like Emu!

Jump up and join the Aussie animals’ moon dance–you’ll soon get into the groove!

 

Logan’s Big Move

Best Suited 3-6 Years 
When Logan moves to a new town he discovers the local skatepark and the joys of BMX riding. Little Logan wants to pull off some big tricks but they’re not as easy as they look! He’ll need to put in lots of hard work and practice to conquer the half pipe. Can he overcome the jitters, nail a new trick and find a way to have fun?

Celebrating hard work, dedication and self belief, this story will delight young readers and bike riders.

Bold Australian Girl

Best Suited 3+ Years
Do you know what my Mum whispers as she straightens out a curl? ‘You can do anything. You’re my bold Australian girl.

This delightful picture book encourages girls to do anything. Focusing on a nurturing relationship between a young Indigenous girl and her mum, this book celebrates everything from football to friendship, reading to surfing.

Little Paws 1: Welcome Home, Harley

Best Suited 6-8 Years
Lexie and Tom Walker are super excited to meet their new eight-week-old puppy, Harley. Harley is extra special because she’s a Guide Dog puppy in training!

While Harley is gorgeous, she’s also cheeky and good at causing trouble. In particular, she loves to chew things! It’s up to Lexie and Tom, with their Puppy Raising Officer’s help, to teach Harley some basic obedience so she can prove to everyone she is Guide Dog material.

Little Paws 2: Meg’s Big Mystery

Best Suited 6-8 Years
Lachie Byrnes is proud to be helping raise Meg, a budding Guide Dog. After living with the Byrnes family for a few months, Meg has just started puppy preschool!

Meg is very good at obeying commands – except sometimes sit and stay! But after a big day of training and activities, Meg becomes sick and has to be rushed to the Guide Dogs vet surgery. Lachie is determined to use his detective skills to find out what’s wrong with his beloved puppy.

Little Paws 3: Ringo’s Road Trip

Best Suited 6-8 Years
Six-month-old Guide Dog puppy Ringo can already sit, stay and is full of smiles. His Puppy Raisers, the Hedges family, decide Ringo is ready to join them on a road trip up the coast.

The kids, April and Archie, begin counting down the days until they leave. Ringo’s excited too! When they arrive, Ringo is fascinated with the new environment. It seems like dog heaven, until something frightens Ringo and he runs away. Where is Ringo and will the Hedges find him before nightfall?

 

Little Paws 4: Goldie Makes the Grade

Best Suited 6-8 Years
Guide Dog puppy Goldie has been with the Agresta family since she was eight weeks old. Now she’s nearly fourteen months and it’s almost time for her to leave and begin her final Guide Dog training.

Abby is so proud of Goldie and is determined to make the most of the time they have left together. But when some cupcakes that Abby’s mum has made for the school charity day go missing, it looks like Goldie is the most likely culprit! Can Abby clear Goldie’s good name?

The Kaboom Kid: Playing Up

Best Suited 8-11 Years
Meet Little Davey Warner. He lives in Sandhill Flats with his mum and dad and his brother Steve – and his stinky dog Max. Davey and his schoolmates –even Max – are MAD for cricket. All they want to do is play … but there’s always something getting in their way. In this second book in the series, Davey wishes he could be as good a cricketer as his older brother Steve, who’s always telling him to practise more. And there’s nothing else that Davey and his mates like to do more – the classroom is as good as the playground, right?

The Kaboom Kid: Hit for Six

Best Suited 8-11 Years
Davey Warner bets school bully Mo Clouter that he can hit six sixes in the Sandhills Sluggers’ upcoming battle against their club rivals. But after a disastrous school excursion to the local lawn bowls club, Davey is in trouble again, then forgets to hand in his assignment. His Year Six teacher, Mr Mudge, bans Davey from playing cricket until it’s done. Can Davey get his assignment done, hit six sixes in the match and help the Sluggers seize top spot on the ladder?

The Kaboom Kid: Home and Away

Best suited 8-11 Years
Road trip! Davey and the South-East Slammers travel to the country for a match against the dreaded North-West Whackers. Not only is cranky Mr Mudge coming along, school bully Mo Clouter and his band of buffoons have joined the cheerleading team. What are they up to? Soon it’s time to play – but where is their captain, Josh Jarrett, AKA Mr Perfect? And what on earth does Mo have planned? Will the team ever pull together against the might and skill of the North-West Whackers?

The Kaboom Kid: Captains’ Knock

Best Suited 8-11 Years
Davey and his friends are off to Gold’s Camp Cricket to help them get an upper hand on the summer of cricket ahead.
Sunil and Davey have their eyes on the prize – Sunil as captain, and Davey as vice. But at camp they run into a new nemesis, Kaine – the opposition’s captain and Class A dictator. Between paintball, pranks and poltergeists Sunil and Davey have their work cut out for them.

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