Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Begone the Raggedy Witches (The Wild Magic Trilogy: Book 1) – Celine Kiernan

    Walker Australia ISBN: 9781406366020 Imprint: Walker Release Date: April 1, 2018 Australian RRP: $16.99 New Zealand RRP: $18.99   Just wow!! If you have readers who love HP or other magical worlds they are going to love this new series. Set in Ireland with a close family of three generations but one that has secrets. Mup lives with her mum,…

  • Shout Out to the Girls: A Celebration of Awesome Australian Women

    Penguin Random House 9780143789420 February 26, 2018 Random House Australia Children’s RRP $29.99   What a fantastic book to add to your “Mighty Girl” collection! Covering a diverse selection of outstanding women from diverse fields of achievement and endeavor, this is a worthy addition to any primary or lower secondary collection. The layout is particularly…

  • A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle [movie tie-in edition]

    Penguin Australia 9780241331163 January 29, 2018 Puffin   $14.99 How old were you when you first read this iconic book? I believe I was in 6th class so around 11/12. After the legion readers the novel has attracted since its first publishing in 1962 it seems hard to believe that the author had faced numerous…

  • Marvellous Miss May: Queen of the Circus – Stephanie Owen Reeder

      Publisher:   National Library of Australia Edition:   1st Edition ISBN:   9780642279156 Publication Date:   01 February 2018 RRP $24.99 What is not to love about this wonderful Heritage Heroes series?  Stephanie Owen Reeder introduces readers to a cast of significant Australians with whom many of us are unaware (myself included). This new volume continues the high standard…

  • The Firefly Code – Megan Frazer Blakemore

    Bloomsbury Australia Published: 01-12-2017 ISBN: 9781681195278 Imprint: Bloomsbury USA Childrens RRP: $11.99   Mori and her friends have grown up a tight-knit circle in their neighbourhood in Old Harmonie.  They believe their life to be normal and regular although they know their city is ‘apart’ from others, except for similar communities around the world.  Their…

  • Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables:  Fight Back – Tim Harris

    9780143785873 January 29, 2018 Random House Australia Children’s RRP : $14.99 The kids in 12B are pretty despondent.  Mr Bambuckle has been sent packing by Principal Sternblast and their replacement teacher Miss Frost is as icy as her name.  Every day is a complete nightmare with dreary worksheets and stony silences.  However, there is some…

  • Triple Treat: Jacqueline Harvey, Belinda Murrell and R. A. Spratt

      Such fun to open parcels with books from the most popular authors in my library – and my literary circle! The titles from this trio are highly sought after among my readers and there is always much exchanging in the returns line up with ‘She had this but I want to borrow it next’.…

  • Collins Modern Classics: Thomasina (: the Cat who Thought She was a God) – Paul Gallico

    ISBN: 9780007395187 ISBN 10: 0007395183 Imprint: HarperCollins – GB RRP $14.99   When I was little and even a bit more than little my mother often took me to the movies. Usually we saw Disney films or musicals – our favourites. I’m guessing it was around 1964 and I was eight years old when we went to see…

  • A Superb Surfeit of Dame Lynley Dodd

    Sometimes procrastination pays off. I have been putting off reviewing the scads of picture books I have piled up ready for the holidays. How pleased that Dame Lynley Dodd’s newest offering is one of these because this week I was thrilled to spend not one but two sessions in the presence of this living treasure…

  • Wonder – the movie

    Like many others I’m so keen to see the movie based on R. J. Palacio’s stellar book which I reviewed some time ago. I’m hearing amazing responses from friends who have already seen it but you may perhaps like to watch this as well.  I say again, tiramisu.