Just So Stories

Ford St Publishing

June 2024

ISBN: 9781922696403

RRP: $29.99

Paul Collins and Ford St Publishing are, IMO, the most successful editors and creators of anthologies for young people in the country. Just yesterday FB reminded me that the very first published review I ever did was sent off to ReadPlus 12 years ago and it was for another great anthology from this stable, Trust Me Too has stayed on my bookshelf, and been well-employed in the intervening years in both my libraries and in my various between-job gigs doing relief teaching.

So I was very much looking forward to this one, and it has been a joyful experience dipping in and out of it over the past month. There are over 40 contributors, many of them friends: Susanne Gervay, George Ivanoff, Meredith Costain, John Larkin, Deborah Abela and Paul himself, among others.

It’s certainly not easy picking favourites among the short stories and poems but I can tell you that some I particularly enjoyed. David Metzenthen’s Rabbit Life with its allegory and understated revenge on a bully definitely appealed [of course, rabbits!]. Susanne Gervay’s surfer who faces a shark (inspired by fact) was tense and beautifully captured the way a surfer thinks [not that I’m one but The Kid is, and often expresses the emotions in the same way]. George Ivanoff’s space pirates and ghosts make me question whether to read any more spec-fic at all! haha! Definitely creepy enough to satisfy any of your ghoulish readers. Then there’s Paul’s own story which dog lovers will all appreciate as one ponders the superiority of canines and what might be learned from them (in a mad scientist sort of way). And there’s the hilarity of three pages from Leigh Hobbs with Angela braving cleaning duties in Old Tom’s room. But SO many more! You will be spoiled for choice with this smorgabord of tempting tidbits (harking back to that first review!).

The contents are categorised into: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Contemporary, Adventure, Crime, Romance, Ghost, Horror, Historical, Humour, Graphic and Poetry, so there is something to appeal to all your readers.

I know that some schools choose to look at anthologies in their English program and this would be a great fit, but for others, and certainly it would be my first thought, having this for book club or readers circles would be superb.

There has been resistance in some quarters because just as this fabulous book was being launched ,there was some shocking news that rocked the Australian kids lit community to its core. I dealt with that in this opinion piece. I strongly believe that the professionals with any sense of what is right and good thinking would work out a way to make sure this terrific collection found its place in the shelves, and in the hands of readers.

There are some teaching notes if you’re interested, and while the suggested age is 11 upwards,I would say it’s greatest target would be your early secondary kids – those ones we’re always trying to keep reading now they have so much else put upon them, and also because they are trying out new things and new ideas. It gets a big 5 🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰 from me 100 % and it’s another to keep on my shelf and in my kitbag.