Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Be Careful, Xiao Xin! – Alice Pung/Sher Rill Ng

    Harper Collins September 2022 There will be many who will welcome this beautiful book as a fitting addition to their multi-lingual collection, and, in particular, if Mandarin is a taught language in the school. However, it will be equally well-received by those who are looking to empower their youngsters with self-confidence and resolve. It is Read more

  • Rodney Forgets It – Michael Gerard Bauer

    Scholastic Australia July 2022 ISBN : 9781761121388 RRP: $19.99 In 2018 my kiddos, in our usual countdown to Book Week reading all the short-listed PBs, voted Rodney Loses It our winner – oddly enough, the judges agreed with us (rarely happens, in my experience!). Now Rodney is back in another hilarious but heart-warming tail – Read more

  • Battle Mum – Zoë Foster Blake. Illustrated by Adele K. Thomas

    Penguin Australia 1 November 2022 Look, I’ve gotta be honest – anything with Karate Kid moves or ninja references and I’m in! In my experience, the same applies for kids. Ok, so maybe not all of them are actually across the Karate Kid (clearly because their education has been neglected) but definitely ninjas! For anyone Read more

  • Celebrating Picture Book Month

    Picture Book Month is an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book during the month of November. Every day in November a picture will be celebrated by many of us that are champions for picture books because he/she thinks picture books are important. In this digital age where people think print is dead Read more

  • Happy….Everything….

    Happy Dio de los Muertos (my favourite), All Hallows Eve, Halloween , Samhain, O- Bon Festival and, of course Reformation/Martin Luther Day… Plus a few others Check this out for a selection of celebrations around the world!! The Kid feels too grown up for it now – and as where we are living is very Read more

  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – J. K. Rowling. Jim Kay (Illustrator), Neil Packer (Illustrator)

    Bloomsbury Publishing October 2022 ISBN 9781408845684 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $75.00 Readers of this blog will know of my passion for all things Harry and I have often shared the magnificence that comes my way via Bloomsbury Publishing (long may the prosper!). The fact that this is my favourite of all the original books, Read more

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