Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe



  • Monster – Walter Dean Myers

    Harper Collins Australia December 2021 ISBN: 9780064407311 ISBN 10: 0064407314 Imprint: HarperCollins US List Price: 19.99 AUD I will be perfectly honest. I had not heard of Walter Dean Myers before reading this book but since looking up his bio, see that he was, and is a highly regarded writer of, particularly, young adult fiction in the USA. Sometimes Read more

  • When the War Came Home – Lesley Parr

    Bloomsbury Australia March 2022 ISBN: 9781526621009 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing. Imprint: Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $14.99 A year ago I reviewed my first Lesley Parr historical fiction and absolutely loved it – I book-talked it for weeks afterwards to my kiddos, many of whom also enjoyed it hugely. So I was most excited to receive this Read more

  • Being Britney: Pieces of a Modern Icon – Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

    Allen & Unwin November 2021 ISBN: 9781788705240 Publisher: Bonnier Imprint: Nine Eight Book RRP: $29.99 To be perfectly frank, I cannot say I’ve ever been a super fan of Britney, either as a person or an entertainer. I don’t mean I disliked her or dismissed her but she was just never high in my consciousness Read more

  • Interned – Pamela Rushby

    Walker Books March 2022 ISBN: 9781760653019Imprint: Walker Books AustraliaAustralian RRP: $17.99New Zealand RRP: $19.99 I absolutely love Pam’s writing, and her historical fiction is especially satisfying in my eyes, particularly when she incorporates history of Brisbane and Australia. I moved to Queensland in 1985 and while that’s a long time ago, and I’ve been teaching here since 1993, there Read more

  • Endangered Animal Tales 3: Rusty The Rainbow Bird – Aleesah Darlison/Mel Matthews

    My review for Aleesah’s newest book in this fab series is now live on Kids Book Review – why not check it out! Read more

  • Beijing Tai Tai – Tania McCartney

    Exisle Publishing 2012 ISBN: 9781921966156 RRP: $14.99 I first met Tania when she came to my Canberra school as our author guest around ten years ago, and she and I just clicked from the first moment we spoke to each other. Since then it has been my honour and pleasure to be her friend. I Read more