Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Meet Ariana Treasure – Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern. Illustrated by Karen Erasmus.

    Wombat Books March 2025 Introducing a really sweet new reader series for your Smalls who are graduating to early chapter books. This is Ariana Treasure, her family, their thrift shop, their friends and their neighbourhood. Ariana Treasure: The Missing Book 9781761111808 In the first book we are introduced to Ariana and her mum, and the Read more

  • Ten years on…

    Jennifer Louise Usher 22/7/1980 – 11/3/2015 A decade. It’s almost unbelievable. Ten years ago we lost Jennifer. The Kid has now lived with me for half her life – as she will be 20 in two weeks. There are still days when the grief is unbearable – and more often the dark hours of a Read more

  • How to Sail to Somewhere – Ashleigh Barton

    Hachette Australia Imprint: Lothian Books March 2025 9780734423627 | RRP $16.99 My recent enjoyment of the newest Katya Balen book has been serendipitously echoed in Ashleigh Barton’s gorgeous new MG novel which has similar themes but definitely more mystery. The two books written half a world apart (weirdly) have striking likenesses, though with a different take on Read more

  • Bold Ben Hall – Sophie Masson

    Walker Books March 2025 ISBN13:9781760658403 Australia RRP:$17.99 New Zealand RRP:$19.99 From the time I was a kid, I was fascinated with many of the stories of our bushrangers – lots of them recounted to me by my Father Bear. I think from memory it was in my tweens or maybe very early teens, when he Read more

  • Moonboy – Anna Ciddor

    Allen & Unwin March 2025 ISBN:9781761180743 Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $17.99 I love Anna Ciddor‘s historical time-slip adventures, and this newest one speaks to me even more because of personal connections. I was instantly transported back to First Form at St George Girls High School, and sitting with the rest of my cohort, squashed Read more

  • Clutterbugs – Maura Pierlot & Maya Bora

    Big Ideas Press January 2025 ISBN: 9780645099829 RRP: $27.99 Maura Pierlot Gifts Us with Clutterbugs Ok, so we’ve never had quite this much mess to clear up but there were plenty of times when my girls were little that I would have welcomed a troop of clutterbugs to help out! Now we live in such Read more

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