Just So Stories

Allen & Unwin

March 2025

ISBN:978174331709

Imprint:A & U Children’s

RRP: $19.99

Just last year some of my circle were saying we would love to see more Torres Strait Islander titles, particularly after the success of Our Flag, Our Story, so when this arrived I was very excited indeed. And this is a fantastic book which works on many levels.

Firstly, of course, it gives readers insight into what life in the Islands, particularly on Saibai, the island that is a scant 4 km from Papua New Guinea. Secondly, it addresses the very real and very threatening crisis of climate change and the effect that is having on such localities. Thirdly, it is a heartwarming exploration of one 12-year-old’s journey of self-realisation – and one that is applicable to many, no matter their culture or locality.

Ezra is just an ordinary boy, who loves his family, his friends and his home. He also loves a laugh and a dare. Sometimes, those last two can lead him into trouble, and certainly it does throughout the narrative.

There’s a lot going on for Ezra. He’s just about to finish primary school and that means he’ll be heading to Tagai State College on Thursday Island [fun fact: when I had my corporate library job 12ish years ago, for a year or so, Tagai were one of my clients. I lobbied hard to go visit in person, but the stingy manager wouldn’t approve it.]. His older sister is already there, and stays with their auntie, rather than boarding at the college.

But Ezra doesn’t want to leave his island at all. For all his dares, there are times he just wants things to stay the same -especially when he finds out that Maryanne has applied for a scholarship to a fancy Brisbane school. Their mum is almost finished her teaching degree and she’ll be doing a final placement at the fancy school as well.

When Ezra and his friends go to visit Tagai for their transition day, he foolishly does a dare that lands him in big trouble – not just with teachers but with his father too. Ezra has to work doubly hard to pull himself together and show that he can be both responsible and thoughtful.

And when Saibai suffers a huge and potentially deadly out-of-season storm, he really steps up and, along with bestie Mason, shows both initiative and mettle, drawing on the strength of his crocodile clan.

There is such an emphasis in this on culture and community that is infectious and makes one long to experience that close-knit small population locality – especially when it’s combined with a tropical island. But of course, such places are not without their own dangers – including those storms AND the crocodiles!

This one has it all – providing those cross-cultural perspectives that many of us want to provide for our kiddos, along with instilling those values that are going to be so important in the coming years (for all of us). The collaboration that has produced this has done well and it is both engaging and empowering for readers from around 10 years upwards.

It would make an excellent serial read for your upper primary or Year 7 kiddos as well. It definitely gets a 5 🌴🐊🌴🐊🌴 rating and I believe it’s a must for your collection. I’m hoping we begin to see more kid lit coming from the Torres Strait Island community.