Ms French inspired more than 1500 students during her two-day visit, entertaining young minds from Cessnock, Kitchener, Bellbird, Nulkaba, Millfield, Laguna, Paxton, Pelaw Main and Stanford Merthyr.

Ms French also conducted a free, all-ages talk at Kurri Library last Wednesday evening which attracted a packed house of 70 people.

Library Services Co-ordinator Rose-marie Walters said it was an honour to host a visit from Ms French as part of Regional Arts NSW Country Arts Support Program.

During her library talk Ms French espoused the importance of local libraries.

“The best place of all to actually learn not just about yourself but about other people, about other generations of people, other cultures, other languages, other ideas, other religions, who you can be, who people have been, is here in the library,” she said. “It’s here in all of these books and the librarians are basically the custodians of all that is greatest in humanity.”

To acknowledge Ms French’s  passion for wildlife and wombats, and to thank her for visiting Cessnock, several of the schools raised funds with a book sale and gold coin donation during the visits with all proceeds going to the Cedar Creek Wombat Rescue Inc and Hospital.

Ms French has written more than 140 books and is considered one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors.