Just So Stories

Walker Books Australia

October 2023

ISBN13:9781913311056

Imprint: Knights Of

Australia RRP:$18.99

New Zealand RRP:$21.99

Today I had a train trip to the city which I knew would be tiresome as it was not from my usual station, and therefore longer. As I always do, I took a book with me and I can tell you, I am SO glad I picked this one from the review shelf. I had this 3/4 read by the time we got there, so the trip home got a little boring after I had gobbled up the last part. It is so very excellent, and it’s a debut novel! I can only say what a cracking start in kids’ lit for this author, and I am eagerly anticipating the next two titles from her in the new year.

Drawing on her own life experiences as a neuro-diverse person, Elle has written a novel that speaks of ignorance, bigotry, wilful misunderstanding and bullying, but leavens it with themes of self-belief, resilience, friendship and personal courage.

Addie is a smart, deeply caring, and sensitive 11 year old. She is extremely intrigued by and knowledgeable about sharks, she is fascinated by words and loves her thesaurus, she understands very well that her older twin sisters are complete opposites, and she is autistic. Her older sister Keedie is also autistic, but not twin Nina. While Addie is struggling at school with a bigoted and bullying teacher, and losing her best friend to equally mean new girl, Emily, Keedie is struggling in her first year at university – albeit masking it with impressive, but punishing, success.

When Addie learns about the awful history of the witch trials, and murders, in her own village, she becomes passionately involved about both the injustice and the fact that nobody has ever done anything to acknowledge the wrong done.

She begins a campaign to have a memorial of some kind erected to rectify this, and her dogged determination to do so not only has the satisfying conclusion, but the journey to that end mirrors her growing understanding of the exclusion and intolerance of neuro-divergence demonstrated towards herself, Keedie and, quite possibly, those long-ago persecuted village women.

This is such a rich novel to explore in terms of gaining a better understanding of the complexities and multiplicity of indicators of autism. I think on a personal level for your readers, it would certainly enable them to have a clearer picture and acceptance of their neuro-diverse friends/classmates and for those students, it most definitely empowers them to embrace their unique differences, and celebrate their diversity.

It would work sensationally well as a serial read-aloud for any class from around Year 4 upwards. It is set in Scotland, but there is no reason for that to have too much distraction for our homegrown kids. [btw, what is with these Scottish writers that they are SO good! Is it the weather?]. At this point, I must also mention the fantastic cover art from Kay Wilson – what an enticing ‘pick-me-up-now’ invitation it is.

Elle McNiccol has her sights firmly set on more inclusivity and representation for those with disabilities and differences, and, of course, we also have many wonderful Australian kids lit authors actively writing with this intention, including Kate Forster, Kate Gordon and Zanni Louise (check some more titles here).

For those of us with personal experience, we already have an awareness of the variations of autism, how it presents, and how it impacts on the individual, but not everybody is fortunate enough to have that close proximity.

This exceptional novel, written with complete first-hand experience and authenticity is way into that for those who are neuro-typical. This is another top MG novel on my short list of ‘best reads’ this year and I freely give it a rating of which Addie might approve with 5 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈. Highly recommended for thoughtful readers of around 9/10 upwards.

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