Just So Stories

New South Books

Publisher: Midnight Sun

9781922858740/July 2026/AUD$17.99, NZD$19.99

This would be a useful book for a middle-grade serial read to ‘read-around-your-topic’ in environmental themes especially. Although the publisher notes suggest 6 years +, personally I feel it is more suited to older and more discerning readers who would be better able to absorb some of the themes and threads throughout.

There is a lot to unpack really: adoption, bullying and learned behaviour, extended family/chosen family, self-belief, identity, neuro-diversity, disability and the significant environmental issues. The latter are particularly relevant to those readers living in close proximity to the ocean and in areas prone to such natural disasters as bushfires.

Twins, Leo and Kelly, are camping with extended family on Ember Island, a favourite haunt to celebrate their 11th birthday. However, this holiday soon develops some real hiccups and hurdles. The twins discover they are adopted, they are both having weird dreams, their vacation is being seriously impacted by the arrival of a pair of bullies with an equally odious father, and they realise that there are threats to the ecology of Ember that need addressing.

On the positive side they meet up with Sousa and her little brother, Wallum, who are both a little different. Sousa has scoliosis (not such a common disability in most books so good to see this one highlighted) and Wallum is autistic and non-verbal. But they are both immediately drawn into the friendship group and all are united against the bullies, Kane and Felix.

What all of these have in common, along with their family members is revealed when Leo and Kelly transform into their favourite creatures, leopard shark and sea turtle in a moment of high drama and crisis. They learn that this is a special ‘gift’ of their family as well as others – which includes Sousa and Wallum.

Each family member metamorphoses at need to a different animal, all with a goal of protecting the environment. It’s a little bit Animorphs and a little bit Animagus magic with a hefty side of environmental education.

At times, I felt it a tad too didactic which did take the edge of the magic. Also trying a little to hard to work every conceivable ‘issue’ into the mix. And while I could accept that the transformations were special for the family who all have animal light to act as protectors, it didn’t make sense to me that the ferals (as described the main characters) aka Kane and Felix would also turn into feral animals [yes, I do see the analogy – I just don’t see that they should also have ‘magic’].

One thing that is a real stand out is the line drawings, from Sally Heinrich, of the various animals mentioned along with captions of their common and scientific names. These are just delightful.

There are teaching notes which have a lot of information about the author and illustrator and a lot of more pertinent material although to be honest, I can’t see this as being a focussed learning text. It would however be an appropriate match for unit of inquiry for natural disaster/ecology. It gets a 3 🌱🌱🌱 from me.