Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Eighty-Nine Questions for After – Ashleigh Barton

    Hachette Australia July 2026 ISBN: 9780733654596 RRP: $16.99 I first knew Ashleigh’s work as a picture book creator, one who could create wonderful texts that not only engaged young readers but gave them portals into the larger world. Then along came her middle-grade novel How to Sail to Somewhere which so skilfully demonstrated that her…

  • Your Feelings Matter – Jess Sanders. Illustrated by Alice Buckingham.

    Affirm Press Distributed by Simon & Schuster May 2026 ISBN13: 9781923419391 LIST PRICE: AU$ 24.99 / NZ$ 27.99 I’ve only reviewed a couple of Jess Sanders‘ books but do know more because they have proved so valuable in the Personal and Social capability strand and for moments like circle time that they are on many…

  • Meooow! – Nicoletta Costa

    Thames & Hudson April 2026 RRP: $14.99 A Cat Book of Seasons ISBN: 9781760765866 A Cat Book of Colours ISBN: 9781760765842 $14.99 A Cat Book of Feelings ISBN: 9781760765859 Well if these aren’t just as cute as a bug’s ear! They are incredibly simple concept board books but those vibrant illustrations combined with the absolutely…

  • The Midlands – Kate Gordon

    Kate Gordon has certainly forged a following since her first foray into publication. Some of her titles I have reviewed, others I have read but not reviewed but I definitely know which ones have received the positives and enthusiasms. I particularly enjoyed Whalesong. There is a lot to like about this newest one as well.…

  • The Clueless Guide to Solving a Mystery: Clueless #1 – Samera Kamaleddine. Illustrations by Hykie Breeze.

    Harper Collins Australia May 2026 ISBN: 9781460767443 RRP: $17.99 MG readers will thoroughly enjoy meeting Claudia as she has an extended stay with her grandparents in their retirement village. The residents make for hilarious friends with their various quirks but it is when ‘the cousins’, Yasmin and Zayn, come to visit their own grandmother that her…

  • Tiny Good Things – Gabrielle Tozer/Sophie Beer

    Harper Collins Australia Imprint: Angus & Robertson March 2026 ISBN: 9781460764978 RRP: $24.99 Two talented creators teaming up with a result of this gorgeous book. It’s sweet and satisfying. I love – LOVE – that the rhyming text has such lovely cadence and, at no point, comes across as contrived or forced, but has a gentle…

  • Wombat Waiting – Katherine Applegate

    Harper Collins Australia Imprint: Harper Collins UK May 2026 ISBN: 9780008814144 RRP: $17.99 I’ve been following this book’s journey via Katherine’s socials with great interest, knowing full well that it would be another of her totally captivating and heart-warming animal-centric narratives. And that it is. Wombat is a street dog and always has been. She’s…

  • Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans – Zoe Gaetjens

    Penguin Australia Sometimes it’s just so refreshing to read something that’s different and this was one of those. It’s not that I don’t enjoy reading the YA cosy murder mysteries and so on, but when you get a book that gives you a slice of real life set in your hometown that combines self-belief, friendship,…

  • You can’t help but notice..

    Sometimes there is a slew of similar looking books, or titles, or even narratives or content. We all know there are trends in fashion, food, music, movies and even books – but it does sometimes seem that at times various authors, even across continents, simultaneously get the same thought. Other times it’s just seems to…

  • 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…