Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Katipo Joe Spycraft – Brian Falkner

    My review of this absolutely fabulous read is now live on Kids Book Review – don’t miss out, especially all of you with those blasé teens who need a good reading rev-up!! I loved this book and now I need to find time to read the earlier ones!

  • Guest Reviewer: Jessica Finden

    Introducing the lovely Jess, currently teacher-librarian (part-time) at Carmel College, Thornlands. Jess is definitely the glue that holds together the Bayside Secondary T-L Network and works hard always, organising meetings, and our regional Readers Cup competition. In tandem with her Head of English she has transformed the set novel program at Carmel with both flair…

  • James Gong: the Chinese Dragon – Paul Collins

    Hybrid Publishers February 2022 ISBN: 9781925736793 RRP: $16.99 Your middle school kids will love this second instalment of James Gong (see James Gong: The Big Hit if you missed the first). Paul Collins has drawn on his experiences as a martial arts expert to bring another action-packed episode in the life of James Gong to…

  • You’ll Be the Death of Me – Karen M. McManus

    Penguin Australia November 2021 Really, this author and her books need no promo via my humble opinion, although I am more than happy to provide it. In my library and among my reading circle, these are just unstoppable – particularly so since the series exploded onto the small screens. The teen thriller market is just…

  • Sofa Surfer – Malcolm Duffy

    Harper Collins Australia May 2021 ISBN: 9781786697684 ISBN 10: 1786697688 Imprint: Head Of Zeus – Zehpyr GB RRP $16.99 On any given night in Australia 116,427 Australians are homeless. 27,680 of these are young people aged 12-24 years. Most of the homeless youth aged 12–18 years in 2016 were living in ‘severely’ crowded dwellings (61%) or in supported accommodation for…

  • The Shadow Arts – Damien Love

    Bloomsbury July 2021 Imprint: Rock the Boat ISBN: 9780861540860 RRP: $14.99 A few months ago, Alex’s world changed forever. Now, just when it seems life is almost getting back to normal, his grandfather crashes back into the picture with grave news…Innocent lives –  even history itself – could be at stake. Monstrous Devices was one…

  • 100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze – Clayton Zane Comber

    Harper Collins Australia June 2021 ISBN: 9781460759455 ISBN 10: 1460759451 Imprint: HarperCollins AU List Price: 19.99 AUD Age: From 14 years Believe me when I tell you that you will fall in love with Xander, and be sad to leave him at the end of this beautiful feel-good coming-of-age novel. Xander loves to make lists and #1 on his list…

  • The Prison Healer – Lynette Noni

    Penguin Australia Published: 30 March 2021 ISBN: 9781760897512 Imprint: Penguin Format: Trade Paperback Pages: 416 RRP: $24.99 I’m going to have a lot of my secondary students clamoring for this one. They are huge fans of Noni’s previous books, both boys and girls and this is another intriguing dark fantasy (with some dystopian touches) thriller for them to enjoy. Set in…

  • The Quiet at the End of the World – Lauren James

    Walker Books ISBN: 9781406375510 Imprint: Walker March 2019 Australian RRP: $16.99 New Zealand RRP: $18.99 To be honest, I’m totally not a sci-fi person but this novel had me completely engrossed from the first page. London: 2109. Population: 300. Sixteen year old Lowrie and seventeen year old Shen are the only remaining ‘children’ on Earth after a mystery virus,…

  • Just Breathe – Andrew Daddo

    Penguin Australia 9780143573623 July 30, 2018 RRP: $17.99 It must be hard to be so multi-talented *wry face*.  Andrew Daddo has certainly proven his ability as not only a media figure but a very able and engaging writer. I’ve not been enthralled in recent times by a lot of the YA coming my way –…