Just So Stories

Harper Collins Australia

March 2026

• ISBN: 9781460761502
• ISBN 10: 1460761502
• Imprint: HarperCollins AU
• RRP: $19.99

Following up last year’s A Good Kind of Trouble, Brooke Blurton continues the journey of the Noongar girls from the bush, this time with the focus on Stella as she and Jamie head to the big smoke to continue their education under the auspices of Melbourne Indigenous College.

Jamie is excited to be pursuing her potential football career, while Stella is determined to go as far as she can with her dance. But there’s no easy road for the girls here. For a start, they aren’t roomies as they had hoped and while Jamie, the more easy-going, seems to be able to slot herself into any group, for Stella it’s difficult. Her anxiety peaks easily. And it’s not helped by the snootiness encountered from the dance students, many of whom think they are superior.

It takes some effort and there are many worries to bother her, such as Jamie’s easy and fast-developing closeness with another girl. But there are also great things about this new experience and slowly the ‘fish out of water’ begins to consolidate her own self-belief and move forward. And watching her new dance partner, also Indigenous, find his own vibe is a real joy and provides a satisfying balance to the narrative.

This is another great read for teens, whether mob kids or not. It explores the identity issues, the lack of confidence and the uncertainties that many young people face as they grow into themselves as adults. It’s a 4 🩰🩰🩰🩰rating for this one for mature readers from around Year 8.