Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe



  • Mid-Year Blog Break

    It may not be me who’s on school holidays but lots of other people are, so it’s time for me to take a breather as well. It’s certainly not like getting up early every day, sorting The Kid, long commutes and busy being Head of Library but my days still get busy, busy, busy and… Read more

  • Six Weeks – Matt Goodfellow

    Hachette Australia Imprint: Starboard June 2026 9781444982886 RRP $16.99 It never ceases to amaze me when I happen to read two books within a week and they both have a similar central theme, in this case a young person’s grief. This is yet another verse novel that has continued to grow this genre as one… Read more

  • Eleanor Jones is Not Drowning – Amy Doak

    Penguin Australia June 2026 Amy Doak’s thrillers, especially the Eleanor Jones series, have been smash hits from the start and you could bet that when this one arrived on Thursday 18th, it wasn’t going to languish on the shelf for long unread. In fact, I took it away with us up the coast for the… Read more

  • World’s Most … Extreme, Deadly, Freaky – Australian Geographic

    Hardie Grant Australia April 2026 Series: Australian Geographic World’s Most Publisher: Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Price:AU$19.99, NZ$22.99 You already know, just by looking at them, that your kiddos are going to go nuts for them. And they are exactly the sort of books that I would keep close to hand for break time browsing –… Read more

  • The Epically Awesome Odyssey, as told by Nanny Piggins – R. A. Spratt

    Penguin Australia June 2026 If there is one sure thing to brighten up a bleak, chilly winter’s night (or day) it is the one, the only Nanny Piggins along with her family: Boris, her bear brother, and the children for whom she slaves day and night to feed, clothe, keep clean, educate – oh wait… Read more

  • The Not So Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau – Jenn Bailey & Sherry Bushue. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski.

    Allen & Unwin June 2026 ISBN:9781761182945 Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $22.99 Mime is an art beyond words. It is the art of the essential. And you cannot lie. You have to show the truth. Marcel Marceau As a kid, aeons ago, I was completely entranced by Marcel Marceau whenever I saw him perform on… Read more