Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • My Dream Holiday – Ash Barty. Jasmin McGaughey. Jade Goodwin.

    Harper Collins Australia You may or may not have heard the current furore instigated by The Society of Authors UK over ‘celebrity-authored’ books and that’s hardly surprising. I have seen many books that I know very well have not been written by the person named as author, with there is nary a mention of the…

  • Camp Chaos: Willa and Woof # 7 – Jacqueline Harvey. Illustrations by A. Yi

    Penguin Australia June 2024 Each new Willa and Woof adventure makes me think “Oh this is the best yet!” but, somehow, they just keep coming – and getting better! I really LOVE this one. It makes me, as an adult, think of all the camps I’ve taken kiddos on, both school and with Brownies (later…

  • An Amazing Camping Trip – Jackie Hosking/Lesley Vamos

    Walker Books Australia ISBN13: 9781760654948 Australia RRP: $24.99 New Zealand RRP: $27.99 Jackie Hosking’s excellent rhyming is a byword in the kids lit community and this is another great example. While neither she, nor illustrator Lesley Vamos, are First Nations creators (in fact, Jackie is ‘Nigerian-born Cornish Australian’), I think this is a terrific book…

  • Searching for Cicadas – Lesley Gibbes and Judy Watson

      Walker Books Australia August 2019 ISBN: 9781922244420 Imprint: Walker Books Australia Australian RRP: $26.99 New Zealand RRP: $28.99 This one had slipped through the cracks and I’m terribly sorry about that because it really should have had its promotion during the summer months. That being said with so many families taking advantage of the ‘stay at home’…

  • Pippa’s Island 4: Camp Castaway – Belinda Murrell

    Penguin Random House ISBN 9780143783725 April 2, 2018 Imprint: Random House Australia Children’s RRP: $14.99   I may have had to wait a while for my review copy to arrive but it was completely worth it. If ever a ‘sea change’ from dull dreary winter normality was needed it was now and this was just…

  • When We Go Camping – Sally Sutton. Illustrated by Cat Chapman

    Walker Books ISBN  9781921977787 Imprint: Walker Books Australia October 1, 2016 Australian RRP: $24.99 New Zealand RRP: $27.99 This is another one that had slipped through the cracks and shouldn’t have! It’s a really fabulous read aloud that will have little ones bouncing in their seats and joining in the choruses.   With lots of rhyming and onomatopoeia…

  • Seahorse – Bruce Pascoe

    Magabala Books August 2015 ISBN:9781921248931 RRP $16.95 Both boys and girls in middle primary or thereabouts will enjoy this exciting story set on the beach of Seahorse Bay. Camping, fishing, snorkelling and a sunken boat are all the makings of a terrific family adventure. Jack is making real progress with his snorkelling with his dad,…