Just So Stories

Ford St Publishing

October 2023

ISBN: 9781922696373

RRP: $18.99

Blair Moon is not your average 11 year old. She lives in the nursing home where her mother works, and her best friends are residents, Edgar and Nancy. Nancy is also Blair’s home school teacher, not that Blair needs much teaching as she’s more like a human sponge, soaking up every bit of information she comes across. Her life goals are simple – become the President of the entire world, and…well,actually that’s pretty much it. But until she reaches that lofty position, she must still do what her mother says, which is “Blair Moon, it’s time you went to school”.

To Blair’s absolute horror, her older sister Jamie has been plotting with their mother, and both have decided that before Blair starts high school, she needs to experience school, make friends and have some degree of normalcy. That last will be difficult for Blair, as normal is definitely not her strong suit. She can think of nothing worse than Year 6 and the hurly-burly of regular primary school, but she is quite struck by the idea of running for School President, knowing she is naturally the best choice.

Her campaign to become cool enough to be the popular vote is one punctuated by some of the most inept and hilarious strategies imaginable. Along the way, she makes and almost loses a friend, hijacks the school production of West Side Story, creates mayhem in class, and paints a mural worthy of Banksy – and actually survives the entire experience and comes out with some adjustments in attitude.

One might imagine Blair to be rather insufferable and, to be fair, she is really, but in such a funny and endearing way that your kiddos will be immediately drawn to her, I am sure.

This would make such a great read aloud for a class around middle/upper primary and at around 200 pages is not a demanding imposition in the classroom schedule. Should one want to go deeper there are teaching notes to support some curriculum and classroom studies.

This was a fun read, and it does have some useful lessons along the way about friendship, fitting in, being an individual and our own self-belief. Recommended for readers from around ten upwards.