Just So Stories

Harper Collins

October 2025

• ISBN: 9781460718605
• ISBN 10: 1460718607
• Imprint: ABC Books
• RRP: $15.99

Earlier this year I was not only excited to find out that Katrina had a new series on the way but was invited to write notes to support this first Frances Bloom and what fun it was!

Anyone, young or old, who has loved Pippi Longstocking will fall in love with Frances and her eccentricities, not to mention her adopted grandparents. Fed up with her very dull and grumpy parents, she ships them a long way off by post and proceeds to live by herself with complete and utter relish.

She may be raggedy and her hair may be in tangles, but she is supremely self-confident. When her nasty teacher starts to make trouble for her, and there’s a very real possibility that, having no parents around, means she will be sent to the Bleak Island Home for Unwanted Children and Dogs, Frances shows her true mettle.

Frances’ adoption of a large, permanently hungry and somewhat sweet bear as her Grandma Maude along with a garden gnome, complete with fishing rod, as her Grandpa Harold is inspired by any standards.

The adventures that follow are both hilarious and telling as Frances outwits the nasty Ms Thistle at every turn. Kids will delight in this whether as a read-aloud, or independent reading, and being quite accessible in language, and heavily illustrated makes it a perfect choice for those newly independent readers. Those readers who became fans of Katrina’s Travelling Bookshop series with its madcap adventures and oddball characters will lap this up as well. Of course, it gets a 5 👧🏻🧸🧙🏻‍♂️🌊🏫rating for readers froma around Year 2 to Year 4.

EDIT: Katrina has just let me know that #2 & #3 are already written so keep your eyes peeled for the next amazing adventures of Frances Bloom!