Just So Stories

Ford St Publishing

July 2023

ISBN: 9781922696304

RRP: $14.99

Fact: Kids love ‘choose your own adventure’ books – the decades roll on and this genre is as popular as ever

Fact: More and more girls are playing football – of all codes. And more and more spectators are watching these games.

Fact: Your kiddos who are not strong readers or are disengaged will often be tempted by a shorter, snappier book with segmented text.

Fact: I’m not even an AFL gal – having grown up in Sydney: Dragons Forever!! (and now Dolphins as a close second) – but I loved the first instalment of this series and this one is equally great.

The Scorpions Under-14s are back after a lot of disruption during their past year. The dreaded Covid with its endless blur of lockdowns and lack of community interaction, they’ve had members move up a squad, move away from the neighbourhood, one of their biggest (and oldest) supporters has passed away, and they have a new coach. But a new season is a new beginning, and the girls are determined to start their fresh new team off in the comp with a big win against the always-hard-to-beat Devils.

They have a great new coach, they have some new tembers who have both speed and skill, and they have the commitment to being the best. All in all, it’s looking good for the Scorpions, that is as long as the reader can make the right choices!

The joy of ‘choose your own adventure’ is that you have multiple stories in the one text. I recall George Ivanoff showing his audience how he plots his You Choose books out, and truly, it did my head in.

If I ever start writing a book, I admit defeat on this genre straight up!! Get this one into the hands of your kids, both girls and boys, footy fans or not even particularly interested from around 9 years upwards. I have no doubt it will be a real blinder!