Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Zoom – Dannika Patterson/Ross Morgan

    Ford St Publishing September 2024 ISBN 9781922696427 RRP: $17.99 Some days are just too much… for any of us, let alone Smalls. And it’s not always big stuff that makes them so. Often, it’s more like one not-so-big thing after another until they all roll into one huge dump of misery. As adults most of…

  • Father’s Day 2024

    Happy Father’s day to all the dads, grandpas, uncles, significant/lighthouse males as well as the mums pulling double-duty as both parents. What Do You Call Your Dad? – Ashleigh Barton/Martina Heiduczek Harper Collins Australia July 2024 I’ve now reviewed several of Ashleigh’s books and also had, quite recently, the pleasure of meeting her at the…

  • Forevability Awards 2025

    It gives me pleasure to announce that this coming year I will not only be a judge again in the awards but also a sponsor. What a privilege it is! Highlighting Sue Warren as a valued sponsor for the 2025 Forevability Book Awards.Sue Warren has had a long and varied career as a teacher-librarian for…

  • Real Stories with Random Writers

    A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to be the first librarian on this hugely popular and terrific podcast with friends, Jacqueline Harvey, R. A. Spratt and Tim Harris. It was loads of fun and I’m very lucky. Check it out here and have a laugh with us.

  • A little break in transmission…

    Just need a little reset time this week. I have paid work to do and I need to get some reviews scheduled, as well as help The Kid with her first assessments, being her critique/proofreader chum. I’ve read some great books recently – and even weeks ago – that I need to write up, so…

  • Jack’s Island – Norman Jorgensen

    Fremantle Press January 2024 ISBN: 9781760992958 RRP: $17.99 Since its initial publication in 2008, Norman Jorgensen’s award-winning historical novel has proven not only an enduring popular choice for many class novel studies, but as a first-rate adventure constantly in circulation among readers from around Year 5 to Year 8. Based on stories from his own father,…

  • Song of the Golden Hare – Jackie Morris

    Unbound May 2024 ISBN: 9781783528851 RRP: AUD$29.99, NZD$34.99 Distributed by New South Books This is probably one of the most difficult books to categorise I’ve ever read. Is it a picture book? Well,it’s very heavily and beautifully illustrated but I would need to call it an ‘extended’ picture book because it is quite a lengthy…

  • The Cubbies: the battle for Australia’s first adventure playground – Joan Healey

    Monash University Publishing Publication Date: Aug 2024 RRP: $36.99 ISBN: 9781922979698 Sometimes it is really marvellous how things come your way. Just over a week ago I was writing some teaching notes for a forthcoming JF in which a cubby is featured, and, as is my wont, I was rootling around for info or inspo…

  • Hitler’s Daughter 25th Anniversary – Jackie French

    Harper Collins Australia July 2024 When I took this out of the parcel I was aghast – at the fact of it being 25 years since I first read this, one of Jackie’s most loved MG books. I sent her a message saying so and she replied that she found it hard to believe as…

  • Herd- Stephen Hogtun

    Bloomsbury Australia July 2024 ISBN 9781526610737 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $22.99 Home is where your family is… From start to finish this is just a beautiful book in all respects. With absolutely exquisite illustrations, this exploration of what ‘home’ means will give rise to many bountiful conversations with both Smalls and Not-so-Smalls about the…