Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • 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…

  • Three Dresses – Wanda Gibson

    UQP April 2024 ISBN: 9780702266355 RRP: $26.99 As soon as I saw this book, I wanted to review it as I knew it would be both beautiful and poignant. I’ve not been to Hopevale or Woorabinda, only as far as Cairns, but I know people who have both been and worked there. I have though,…

  • The Wonder of Small Things (Young Readers edition) – Vince Copley with Lea McInerney

    Harper Collins Australia January 2024 Most readers of this blog know that my kids and grandies are Aboriginal – Wiradjuri mob. For my thirty+ years of teaching, I’ve been a learner of cross-cultural knowledge, embedded these perspectives in my teaching programmes and availed myself of every opportunity to find out more. But, I’ll be honest,…

  • Finding My Bella Vita: A story of family, food, fame and working out who you are – Pia Miranda

    Hachette SEP 27, 2023 | 9780733649837 | RRP $34.99 I only quite recently re-watched Looking for Alibrandi, thoroughly enjoying it all over again, so was keen to read and review this memoir, simply on the strength of Pia’s amazing presence as Josie Alibrandi. And I was not disappointed, because her memoir is every bit as fresh, quirky and memorable as…

  • Grace Kelly: the Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon – Megan Hess

    Hardie Grant Australia October 2023 ISBN: 9781743798416 RRP: $42. 00 Last year I concluded Picture Book Month with Megan Hess’ gorgeous illustrated bio of the divine Audrey Hepburn, and how lucky am I to be able to showcase this year’s equally stunning title in this series (grateful thanks to Hardie Grant Australia). Grace by name…

  • Alias Anna: a true story of outwitting the Nazis – Susan Hood {with Greg Dawson}

    Harper Collins Australia August 2023  Sydney Taylor Book Award 2023 Middle Grade Notable  Jewish Book Council Award Middle Grade Finalist  Nerdy Book Club 2022 Best Novel-In-Verse Book  New York Public Library 2022 Best Book For Kids  Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books For Younger Readers Of 2022 I think it’s fair to say I’ve read…

  • A Joyful Life – Rosemary Karinki, with Summer Land

    Hardie Grant March 2023 ISBN:9781741177886 Publisher:Hardie Grant Explore RRP: $34.99 I’ve been reading a lot of kids’ books the past few weeks so to have a couple of bios/memoirs has been good. I’ve had this one sitting to one side (i.e. moving box!) for a few months, it was wonderful to finally get to it…

  • Last Man Out – Louise Park

    Wild Dog Books April 2023 RRP: $24.99 Sometimes a book comes along that just has the most profound impact on you, as a reader and, in this case, also as an avid history nerd. Louise Park’s new publication is just such a book. In the sort of way that makes one tingle – not to…

  • Strong and Tough – Rico Hinson-King/Nick Sharratt

    Bloomsbury November 2022 ISBN 9781526648624 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $24.99 This is a super story which I’ve now shared with several classes between Year 1 and 3, and all the kiddos have really enjoyed it, even though it deals with some tough issues. What is even more amazing is that it is written by…

  • You Don’t Know What War Is -Yeva Skalietska

    The Diary of a Young Girl From Ukraine Bloomsbury November 2022 ISBN 9781526659934 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books $19.99 It is almost exactly a year ago that the Russia-Ukrainian war, which first started simmering in 2014, abruptly escalated with a full-scale invasion by Russia, in an unprecedented show of force against the smaller nation. The hostilities…