Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Lexie Moon & the Space Day Disaster – Melissa Garside and Lauren Mullinder

    Riveted Press August 2025 Distributed by Simon & Schuster ISBN13: 9781764007115 RRP: AU$ 12.99 / NZ$ 14.99 I’m quite sure that your young readers, those who are just starting to gobble up chapter books, will have really enjoyed the first Lexie Moon adventure. This is a great series for those kiddos just hitting their straps… Read more

  • Hannah Backwards – Kim Rackham

    Riveted Press August 2025) Distributed by Simon & Schuster ISBN13: 9781764007139 RRP: AU$ 14.99 / NZ$ 16.99 I think this is very possibly the first verse novel for younger readers I’ve come across to review, and I think it will be very popular with many of them. Much of the action in this narrative is… Read more

  • FYI – Teaching notes etc

    Due to diminishing space on the blog and archiving older reviews onto Substack, I am now also moving many of the Freebies files such as teaching notes, programs etc. You can find them at Just So Stories Archive along with a growing number of reviews from years past. It is a work in progress!! One… Read more

  • It’s a Sean E. Avery Special

    These two books have been languishing in the PBs’ tubs for way too long. But news of Sean’s recent visit to Canberra [so jelly of all my friends there who got to see him] has guilted me into attending to them pronto. And after all, Sean is a thoroughly nice guy it seems. When I… Read more

  • Music Camp – Penny Tangey

    UQP June 2025 9780702269028 A$16.99 If you’re looking for a character-driven middle grade novel to explore characterisation, and particularly, introduce the literary concepts of archetypes and tropes, this would be a good choice. You could very easily use this as a class serial read and then unpack these points and the accompanying themes with a… Read more

  • Neeka and the Storm: Wilder Zoo #2 – Tina Strachan

    Harper Collins Australia July 2025 ISBN: 9781460764565 ISBN 10: 1460764560 Imprint: HarperCollins AU RRP: $16.99 I have no doubts whatsoever that many of you will have kids who loved the #1 in this series, Neeka and the Missing Key. Of course, the whole animals aspect is a huge drawcard, but the plot with all its drama, humour and… Read more

Archived Reviews