Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe



  • What You Need to be Warm – Neil Gaiman

    Bloomsbury October 2023 ISBN 9781526660619 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $19.99 This morning (Sunday 10/12/23) The Kid and I went to the city by train to an event, and as we crossed over the Brisbane river and I looked back to the Coronation Drive/Riverside expressway I noticed something. In some places, there are gaps between Read more

  • The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas – Matt Lucas. Illustrated by Forrest Burdett.

    Harper Collins Australia October 2023 To be completely honest, when I first got this one I thought – uggh, another “celebrity” book – so many, most disappointing IMO. But with Xmas coming up, I was determined to give it a go to add to my rather scanty list of new festive releases, and to be Read more

  • Juniper’s Christmas – Eoin Colfer.

    Harper Collins Australia November 2023 It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Eoin (well, me at least) but this one was definitely worth a wait. I absolutely think it’s one of the most original Christmas MG novels I’ve ever read, and I loved every word of it. It encapsulates so much about contemporary life, Read more

  • Pink Santa – Tanya Hennessy. Illustrated by Ben Whitehouse.

    Allen & Unwin August 2023 ISBN:9781761180392 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint: Albert Street Books RRP: $19.99 Most folks know I/we don’t really do Xmas in a traditional kind of way. Ever since we lost The Kid’s mum, it really has lost more and more appeal each year, even when K was still quite Small. So now we Read more

  • The Christmas Wish (The Wish Sisters series) -Allison Rushby. Illustrated by Karen Blair.

    UQP October 2023 ISBN: 9780702266362 RRP: $12.99 The Wish Sisters series has already established a following among those young newly independent readers who respond well to everyday family life with an added twist of fantasy and humour. These stories have a flavour that strongly reminds me of E. Nesbit’s Five Children and It, in which Read more