Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • All Aboard! Discovering Sydney’s Central Station – Jackie French. Martina Heiduczek.

    New Frontier Publishing August 2025 ISBN : 978-1-923145-38-2 PRICE : $26.99 As a Sydney kid growing up in the late 50s and 60s Central Station, as was, felt very familiar to me. Not that we regularly went to the city every week or even every month, but we did quite often for special occasions. And certainly we Read more

  • Our History: A House Divided – Clare Hallifax

    Walker Books Australia August 2025 ISBN13:9781760658991 Australia RRP:$16.99 New Zealand RRP:$18.99 What a terrific book to pair with your upper primary studies on our goverment systems, not to mention your Civics and Citizenship units for secondary students. In the mid-70s I hadn’t yet experienced living in Canberra, and was yet to discover its unique character, Read more

  • Happy World Octopus Day !!

    When is World Octopus Day?: World Octopus Day is celebrated on the 8th of October every year. It was first observed in 2014 but has been an annual event ever since. Take a look at some of my octopus reviews especially the two most recent Keeper of the Octopus and Song of a Thousand Seas. And don’t Read more

  • Gloam – Jack MacKay

    Bloomsbury September 2025 Imprint: Oneworld ISBN: 9780861549528 RRP: $16.99 Sometimes a debut novel comes along that completely blows you away, and this would be one of those. I’m not a fan of horror, but I don’t mind a bit of creepy – this was actually quite a lot of creepy! and an enormously good read. Read more

  • Our World Full of Wonder – Jevita Nilson/Jess Racklyeft

    Publisher: CSIRO Publishing November 2024 ISBN: 9781486318155 $ 24.99 Sometimes, despite all my good intentions, some books just linger for months tucked away in one of the several tubs/boxes I have for review books. I do have regular re-shuffles, and there are those books that just don’t make the cut for me, and so are Read more

  • The Adventures of Pongo and Stink – Lisa Nicol. Illustrated by Karen Blair.

    Penguin Australia October 2025 I can absolutely guarantee you that your kiddos will be rolling about as happily as pigs in mud when they get their hands on this one – and it would make a super serial read-aloud for your younger readers. Pongo and Stink are fully fed up with living in a dark Read more

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