Just So Stories

Fremantle Press

July 2026

ISBN: 9781760996550

RRP: $14.99

After thoroughly enjoying The Unlucky Pirate, I knew I was going to love this one and I surely did! So much of which I had no idea before reading – absolutely fascinating and bizarre at the same time. This time Mark Greenwood takes readers on a trip through time that examines the prevalence of skull symbolism throughout history and across cultures, skull art, and more specifically mysterious carved crystal skulls, many of which are of baffling origin. He includes scientific information about quartz from which these various skulls have been crafted and then selectively provides the information of the first ‘modern’ appearances of various examples, their purported origins and the ‘discoverers’ of these. Illustrated throughout with photographs such as that of the well-known and controversial Mitchell-Hedges skull, reputedly retrieved from Mayan ruins in 1924 (that is now heavily disputed and largely disproven), to the example held by the British museum and the skull held by the Smithsonian Institute. Also included are some snapshot fragments of the many media articles on these which would make a great research project for kiddos.

Mark outlines the theories around these and other examples such as that they are mystical objects of great power, created not by humans, that they are portals to other dimensions and that they can impart and enhance pyschic abilities.

I have a pretty open mind especially about things that seem to defy our human collective knowledge but some of these theories seem pretty outlandish to me, still, one never knows.

One thing is certain these artefacts have been created with great skull and provoked huge interest around the world. No doubt they will continue to fascinate people for years to come.

This is just 100% interesting from start to finish and would make such a great classroom investigation topic that could be extended in so many ways from art to fake news to archaeology to symbolism in art. Readers from around Year 4 upwards to early secondary will enjoy it greatly I predict. It’s a carved in solid quartz 5 💀💀💀💀💀rating on this.

After reading this I was prompted to search out the photo of The Kid’s own ‘crystal’ skull retrieved during an op shop expedition circa 2020, which I borrowed at one time for shelf dressing in my library. She still thinks it’s fabulous and also still has a great liking for skulls both human and otherwise [hence the small deer skull with antlers attached adorning one of her bedroom pot plants].