Just So Stories

Penguin Books Australia

• ISBN: 9780241679166
• Imprint: Puffin
• RRP: $16.99

Somehow or other, I have completely missed Lottie Brooks until now but I’m glad we have met. I found this quite hilarious and can easily see why this series has been so popular with tweens. It’s reminiscent of the likes of Wimpy Kid or Tom Weekly but more like an older Clarice Bean, I think.

Lottie is a well-intentioned but somehow awkward tween with a circle of friends including bestie Jess and family that drives her rather crazy most of the time, especially her revolting little brother, Toby.

Christmas is shaping up to be pretty quiet at the Brooks’ house with just the immediate family. No grandparents, who are intending to spend Xmas with the aunts up north. In fact, no extras of any kind. Lottie can’t really decide if she’s pleased about that or not. After all, being with just the family is likely to be a bit boring.

But she has more pressing concerns. Does Daniel still like her after the faux pas with French boy, Antoine, whom she met on holiday? At least, they are still friends. Or are they? This is one misadventure after another and when the cast of Christmas goes above and beyond the grandparents who have decided they don’t want a vegan Xmas with the aunts, and rises even higher with the aunt, uncle and feral 3 year old cousin from New Zealand – and, to top that off, Antoine and his family who have interpreted Lottie’s comments on eggnog as an invitation for Christmas – it all goes completely nuts.

There’s a catastrophe at the garden centre for the traditional Santa photo when baby Bella bites the old man’s nose. There’s the hilarity of the school nativity play. There’s Lottie caught out wearing the Turkey novelty hat given her by her Secret Santa and more delicious fun.

Amongst it all Lottie navigates her way through her first romance with Daniel and it is not only quite sweet but another fine example of the peccadillos which seem to find her, wherever she goes. It made a great change from Xmas picture books. Readers from around 9 years old will thoroughly enjoy this with it’s heavily stick-figured illustrations and dynamic fonts, which are interspersed with SMS threads, Lottie’s Thoughts of the Day, her lists and other bits of randomness. It’s a 4 🎄🎄🎄🎄 from me.

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year, I would like:

Two hundred KitKat chunkies (full-size not multipack)
Baby Bella to stop shouting ‘BUM’ in public spaces
A new brother who doesn’t fart on me and call it a ‘tasty air biscuit’
Antoine or Daniel (I can’t decide!) to surprise me on Christmas Day with a grand romantic gesture
Cash (lots of it!)
A new diary (I’m really getting through them!)

Lots of love,

Lottie xxx

PS. Please could you put a chocolate orange instead of a real orange in my stocking this year?