Patricia Wrightson was an acclaimed Australian author renowned for her contributions to children's literature. Her works earned international recognition, including the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1986 and the Dromkeen Medal in 1984. She received an OBE in 1977 for her services to literature and won the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award four times - for "The Crooked Snake" (1956), "The Nargun and the Stars" (1974), "The Ice Is Coming" (1978), and "A Little Fear" (1984).
Wrightson’s writing often blended fantasy with Indigenous Australian folklore, creating richly imaginative stories rooted in the country’s cultural heritage. Her narratives explored themes of nature, mythology, and the supernatural, captivating young readers with their depth and originality. She spent much of her life in northern New South Wales, drawing inspiration from the bushland surrounding her home near the Clarence River. Her legacy endures as one of Australia’s most celebrated children’s authors.
Book of Wirrun Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Ice is Coming
1977
2
The Dark Bright Water
1979
3
Journey Behind the Wind
1981
Standalone Novels
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Crooked Snake
1955
2
The Rocks of Honey
1960
3
Feather Star
1963
4
Down to Earth (With: Margaret Horder)
1965
5
I Own the Racecourse!
1968
6
Racecourse for Andy
1968
7
The Nargun and the Stars
1970
8
An Older Kind of Magic (With: Noela Young)
1972
9
The Bunyip Hole
1973
10
Behind the Wind
1981
11
A Little Fear
1983
12
Night Outside
1985
13
Moon Dark
1987
14
Balyet
1989
15
Shadows of Time
1995
Aussie Bites Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Bugalugs Bum Thief (By: Tim Winton)
1991
2
The Sugar-Gum Tree
1992
3
Rattler's Place
1997
4
The Excuse (By: Allan Baillie)
1997
5
The Too Tight Tutu (By: Sherryl Clark)
1997
6
Fort Island (By: David Metzwenthen)
1998
7
Isador Brown (By: Ursula Dubosarsky)
1998
8
Sebby, Stee, the Garbos and Me (By: Jane Godwin)
1998
9
Hurry Up, Alice! (By: Christobel Mattingley)
1998
10
Down in the Dump with Dinsmore (By: Margaret Mahy)
1999
11
Peg Leg Meg (By: Bodsworth Nan)
1999
12
The Water Dragons
1999
13
Teacher's Pest (By: Max Dann, Anna Branford)
2000
14
The Even Stranger Adventures of Isador Brown (By: Ursula Dubosarsky)
2000
15
Ginger (By: Christobel Mattingley)
2000
16
Moving House (By: James Moloney)
2001
17
Isador Brown's Strangest Adventures of All (By: Ursula Dubosarsky)
2001
18
Jaleesa the Emu (By: Nola Kerr, Susannah Brindle)
2001
19
Batter Up! (By: Sherryl Clark)
2001
20
Jason Prince (By: Max Dann, Anna Branford)
2002
21
Willie Tell or Won't He (By: Margaret Clark)
2003
22
No Place For Grubbs! (By: Max Dann)
2004
23
Problem Pony (By: Sherryl Clark)
2006
24
Luke and Lulu (By: Bruce Dawe)
2006
25
The Chewing Gum Kid (By: Bruce Dawe)
2006
26
Helping Out (By: Eleanor Nilsson)
2006
27
Game or Not? (By: Archimede Fusillo)
2006
28
Scarlett's Bat (By: Ian Bone)
2006
29
Jessie and Mr. Smith (By: Jane Godwin)
2006
30
One Night At Lottie's House (By: Max Dann)
2006
31
Fairy Four Eyes (By: Penny Matthews)
2007
32
Elephant Mountain (By: Janeen Brian)
2008
33
Splot the Viking (By: Philip Neilsen)
2008
34
Saving Moonbeam (By: Sherryl Clark)
2009
35
The Fete Escape (By: Christina Miesen)
2009
36
Sophie's Salon (By: Anna Branford)
2010
37
Rif & the Riddle (By: Andrew Joyner)
2012
38
The Forever House (By: Sofie Laguna)
2012
39
Silent Knight (By: Margaret Clark)
2012
40
No One (By: Eleanor Nilsson)
2012
41
The Great Stinkathlon (By: Gus Gordon)
2013
42
Hello World It's Me (By: Thurley Fowler)
2013
43
Tiger Trouble (By: Sherryl Clark)
2013
44
The Day I Turned Ten (By: Jane Godwin)
2013
45
Snap! (By: Margaret Clark)
2013
46
Whoppers (By: Moya Simons)
2013
47
Too Much to Ask For (By: Katherine Pershall)
2013
48
David the Best Model Maker in the World (By: James Moloney)