Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Mim and the Frazzled Fruit Farmer: The Travelling Bookshop #7 – Katrina Nannestad. Illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

    Harper Collins Australia February 202 ISBN: 9780733343131 ISBN 10: 0733343139 Imprint: ABC Books AU List Price: 16.99 AUD No doubt there will be many young readers who will be sad to know that this is the final chapter in this entertaining series but, dare I say, knowing Katrina’s fertile imagination and creativity there is sure to be something new…

  • My Brother Otto – Ingrid Laguna

    Text Publishing February 2026 ISBN: 9781923058729 AU Price: $14.99 Teaching Notes This one took a while to come to me but it was sure worth the wait. What an utterly beautiful and heart-rending narrative Ingrid Laguna has created, and one which will sadly resonate with children and families who have lost a baby. Indeed, as…

  • Freddie Jones: The Mystery of the Ghostly Garden – Kate Foster

    Walker Books Australia May 2026 ISBN13:9781760659943 Australia RRP:$17.99 New Zealand RRP:$19.99 I am really loving this new series from Kate Foster, who writes not only entertaining narratives but ones that give us all a much clearer insight into neuro-diversity. Freddie is such a likeable character and his self-awareness, especially using the literary device of first-person…

  • Tiwi War Kwaympini -Mwarlapwara Kangi Tingati/Tiwi War Hero – Footprints in the Sand – Written, translated and illustrated by Mavis Kerinalua with support from Laura Radermaker

    Indigenous Literacy Foundation April 2026HardbackISBN 9781922592712RRP $29.99 Before the Japanese bombed Darwin in World War II, they attacked my grandfather’s Country. Not many people outside the Tiwi Islands know about my people’s role in the war. This is the story of one of our war heroes, my grandfather Louie Purraputimali Munkara Tiwi author brings untold…

  • Bitsa – Andrew Daddo

    Penguin Australia February 2026 ISBN: 9781761355974 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $14.99 Who doesn’t love a heart-warming dog story? And this start of a new series from Andrew Daddo ticks a lot of boxes with both content and accessibility for your newly independent readers. When Jas finds Bitsa, alone and in need of a home, they form an immediate bond.…

  • The Girl and the Ghost #3 Grand Opening – Jacqueline Harvey

    Penguin Australia May 2026 ISBN: 9781761349430 RRP: $16.99 There will be plenty of delighted fans when this one hits the shelves [my advice is to buy multiple copies] as this fabulous series continues. Josephine, often known as Jet, and her family are gearing up for the grand opening of their restored chateau hotel but there is…

  • Raised by Wolves – Tristan Bancks

    Penguin Australia May 2026 ISBN: 9781761349812 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $17.99 It’s been a time of real anticipation waiting for this one to arrive. When Tristan first started to consider this and asking for input, it was a given for me that this sequel to Two Wolves should come from Olive’s PoV, given she was such a striking character,…

  • Ella and the Mystery of the Missing Frogs – Cassy Polimeni. Illustrated by Hykie Breeze.

    UWA Publishing Distributed by Simon & Schuster March 2026 ISBN13: 9781760803193 RRP: AU$ 15.99 / NZ$ 18.99 #3 in the Ella’s froggy series is another engaging read for those early chapter books readers in your circle – the ones who are growing more confident with their sustained reading. Each of these charmers has presented a…

  • The Prime Minister Problem – Brenton Cullen

    Riveted Press April 2026 Dist: Simon & Schuster ISBN13: 9781764256728 RRP: AU$ 17.99 / NZ$ 19.99 Brenton Cullen’s debut novel is a terrific read for middle-grade. This young man has been a keen writer since childhood and is now making his dream of writing professionally come true. And what a great start this is! It’s…

  • One Day Soon – Cristy Burne

    Fremantle Press May 2026 ISBN: 9781760995614 RRP: $17.99 Preorder now This is another verse novel that has given me cause to reconsider my initial lukewarm thoughts about this genre. In fact, so utterly absorbing is this one, that I binge read it in one evening. I don’t know anyone personally with MND but a friend did…