Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Bitsa – Andrew Daddo

    Penguin Australia February 2026 Who doesn’t love a heart-warming dog story? And this start of a new series from Andrew Daddo ticks a lot of boxes with both content and accessibility for your newly independent readers. When Jas finds Bitsa, alone and in need of a home, they form an immediate bond. Jasper knows she…

  • Kid – Peter Carnavas

    UQP June 2026 – Pre-order now 9780702269257 RRP: $22.99 Peter Carnavas the Master [and yes, I did promise him I would use that epithet but I would in any case] of the gentle narrative that is packed with winsome subtleties. This one is just a delight from the first page to the last and your…

  • Judy Blume: a Life – Mark Oppenheimer

    Scribe Publications March 2026 ISBN: 9781761380686 RRP: AUD$39.99 It’s a brilliant biography of one of the most notable, enduring, revered and ground-breaking writers, particularly of kid and teen fiction, and, as you might expect, quite a behemoth to cover the almost 90 years of Judy Blume’s life. It took me almost a week of night…

  • Valerie: Australia’s Bravest Sausage Dog – Lucinda Gifford

    Allen & Unwin Imprint: Albert St Books February 2026 ISBN:9781761182594 RRP: $19.99 Valerie the dachshund reunited with owners after Kangaroo Island rescue There can’t be many people who didn’t hear Valerie’s story – not just in Australia … this little weiner became world-famous. Not many pampered pooches could survive in the wild for almost two…

  • Green Cities: How Green Infrastructure Helps Heal the Planet – Sheila Boudreau. Katy Dockrill.

    UQP March 2026 ISBN: 9780702271175 RRP: A$32.99 A fortnight ago I wrote a detailed review of this gorgeous book which the blog promptly ‘lost’ and even after contacting support, couldn’t be retrieved. So let’s just start all over again. I loved this book at first sight. The whole mid-century vibe of the artwork just sang…

  • The Girl and the Ghost #3 Grand Opening – Jacqueline Harvey

    Penguin Australia May 2026 ISBN: 9781761349430 RRP: $16.99 There will be plenty of delighted fans when this one hits the shelves [my advice is to buy multiple copies] as this fabulous series continues. Josephine, often known as Jet, and her family are gearing up for the grand opening of their restored chateau hotel but there is…

  • The Night Tiger – Sherryl Clark & Hannah Summerville

    Allen & Unwin March 2026 ISBN:9781760113421 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:A & U Children When I was a kid I was one who was afraid of dark so I think a book that empowers Smalls to feel more comfortable with the nightime and embrace the magic of moonlight, stars and night creatures is a welcome addition to…

  • A short blog break…

    All in all, it’s been a busier first term than if I had been working full-time still. The Kid’s 21st of course. Around a dozen sets of teaching notes, plus two editing jobs. My first Books in Homes gig. Upping my involvement with Kids Book Review. And there was that other highlight with my first…

  • The Private Side of Friendship – Alexander McCall-Smith

    New South Books Publisher: Polygon 9781846977299 February 2026 AUD$39.99, NZD$44.99 This a stand-alone novel from A M-S that is utterly typical of his gentle story-telling with expert characterisations and with small details that bring his narratives to life. Travelling in time back to the 80s, 24-year-old Julie recalls the happy times spent in a shared…

  • Making Trouble (A Good Kind of Trouble #2) – Brooke Blurton. Melanie Saward.

    Harper Collins Australia March 2026 Following up last year’s A Good Kind of Trouble, Brooke Blurton continues the journey of the Noongar girls from the bush, this time with the focus on Stella as she and Jamie head to the big smoke to continue their education under the auspices of Melbourne Indigenous College. Jamie is…