Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • 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…

  • Q&A with Lisa Fuller

    Well folks, I promised you a Q&A with Lisa and wowzers! I reckon it’s one of the best I’ve ever had in the 10+ years of JSS!! Lisa, welcome to Just So Stories and thank you so much for taking time to share with my readers. I’m especially glad to have you visit as 30…

  • Tomato Sandwich – Caroline Magerl

    Walker Books April 2025 ISBN13:9781760658045 Australia RRP:$25.99 New Zealand RRP:$27.99 Last week I was unwell for a few days with a horrid summer cold. Even when I started to feel better, I was still a long way from 100%. Just as I started to crawl back up the scale, along comes Alfred. This week we’re…

  • The Girl and the Ghost – Jacqueline Harvey

    Penguin Australia April 2025 OMG!!! JH fans, both young and old, are about to lose their minds!!! This fabulous new book, which I gobbled up in two sittings, heralds the start of another new series from the best-selling author, who really knows how to reach her audience. In this instance, the audience has just expanded…

  • Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire: a Tail of Adventure. Bravepaw #2- L. M. Wilkinson. Art by Lavanya Naidu.

    Allen & Unwin February 2025 ISBN:9781761180569 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:Albert Street Books RRP: $16.99 My newest favourite mouselings are back and their quest continues apace. Titch and Huckleberry have absolutely no idea how to reach the Heart of Alluria, where they are meant to repair the crack in the world. And even though Titch has the…

  • Ghostlines – Katya Balen

    Bloomsbury Publishing January 2025 Imprint: Bloomsbury Children’s Publishing ISBN 9781526663870 RRP: $16.99 Since the first Katya Balen title that came into my hands in 2019, I have loved this writer’s work. Obviously given her 2022 Carnegie Medal, I’m not the only one. Each time her characters are flawlessly executed, with plots that are fresh and…

  • Goldfields Girl: the Clara Saunders Story – Elaine Forrestal

    Fremantle Press February 2025 ISBN: 9781760994969 RRP: $17.99 When Goldfields Girl was first published in 2020, I acquired it for our collection and then never got around to reading it. Now it’s been reissued with this [IMO] far more engaging cover [I think it just illustrates Clara’s jaunty and resilient personality more] and I’m very happy…

  • Epically Good Greek Myths – R. A. Spratt

    Penguin Australia March 2025 ISBN: 9781761349751 RRP: $16.99 Nerdy kid me has always been fascinated with the ancient civilisations: as a primary schooler requesting books on the big three of Egypt, Rome and Greece and acing my project on 6 chosen civilisations, to a highschooler crushing on my Ancient History teacher [not even young, almost as…

  • Soaring with the Sugarbird Lady: the Robin Miller Story – Dianne Wolfer

    Fremantle Press March 2025 ISBN: 978176099527 RRP: $17.99 My love of historical fiction knows no bounds as when I come across a hitherto unknown episode, particularly of the Australian + women variety. Dianne Wolfer has introduced me to a young woman who was an absolute stand-out – in Dianne’s own words ‘a trailblazer for women, winging…

  • February wrap-up

    For a short month, there’s been a lot of reading – all these, most for review, but a couple for pleasure plus 3 x MG novels ARCs, 1 PB ditto and onto a 4th now for teaching notes (4 sets written, one set underway). Also several competition entries read for judging. What a lucky duck…