Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Nothing Alike – Zewlan Moor/Peter Cheong

    Hardie Grant Publishing August 2023 ISBN: 9781761212239ISBN-10: 1761212230 Imprint: Bright Light RRP: $22.99 #sorrywrongasian. In case you missed the Twitter (remember that?) avalanche of 2021, the whole issue of being an ‘interchangeable Asian‘ and microaggression was highlighted when a slew of reports of ‘mistaken Asian identity’ was reported by Asian-Americans across the country. This particular form of…

  • Little Ash series #7 and #8 – Ash Barty and Jasmine McGaughey/Jade Goodwin

    Harper Collins Australia October 2023 Everyone’s favourite tennis superstar, Ash Barty, is back with two new titles in her hugely popular series for newly independent readers. With engaging themes of sport, school, friends and family, these little chapter books have been such a big hit with the kiddos I know, both as read-aloud and read-to-self.…

  • Beginnings and Endings – Jedda Robaard

    Harper Collins Australia August 2023 A couple of years ago, I had the great pleasure of being invited, in my role of teacher-librarian, to deliver a session for the SCBWI Bibliotherapy Symposium. Of course, providing books with specific purpose has been a natural part of my role for children, teachers and parents over the past…

  • Alice-Miranda and the Christmas Mystery – Jacqueline Harvey

    Penguin Random House October 2023 It has been a while since we’ve had the pleasure of a new Alice-Miranda story, understandably as Jacqueline has been busy with other projects (successfully so I might add!!), and we all know that the A-M fans, young and old (yes, Tiarna G, I am looking at you!) are going…

  • Ruby and the Pen – David Lawrence. Illustrated by Cherie Dignam.

    EK Books August 2023 ISBN: 9781922539380 RRP: $16.99 I’m fairly sure that at one time or another, we’ve all wished we had a magic wand to just ‘swish and flick’ to remove any obstacles, problems or annoyances. Somehow, I’d never pictured it as a magic pen though! 12-year-old Ruby is an inveterate cartoon-sketching kid, who…

  • Eleanor Jones is NOT a Murderer – Amy Doak

    Penguin Australia September 2023 This is a fantastic new voice in Oz YA, and one that will have your fans of Fleur Ferris, Karen McManus and Holly Jackson very excited. I was feeling a little poorly yesterday, which made for a very good reason to spend a lot of time snoozing and reading – peaky…

  • Aggie Flea is NOT a Liar- Tania Ingram

    Scholastic Australia September 2023 ISBN: 9781760972547 RRP: $16.99 Move over, Barbie – there’s a new girl rocking the pink all over town, and hers is fluoro! Meet Aggie Flea, whom you will immediately fall for,  because she’s inquisitive, imaginative and completely inept in most situations. Really, she’s a bit like Anne of Green Gables in…

  • The First Summer of Callie McGee – A. L. Tait

    Scholastic August 2023 ISBN: 9781760260163ISBN-10: 1760260169  A L Tait makes an impressive departure from her usual historical/fantasywriting, with this thoroughly engaging contemporary middle-grade novel. Calliope-Jean Maree McGee is about to start high school. It’s not the selective high school that her mother wanted her to attend, and that’s just fine by this tween who is keen to…

  • How to be a Friend – Anna Branford

    Walker Books July 2023 ISBN13:9781760657246 Australia RRP:$15.99 New Zealand RRP:$17.99 If you are looking to add to your collection for your newly independent readers, this will be a super choice. Some of your Smalls will already be exploring the Violet Mackerel series or have read How to be the New Person, both of which have…

  • Friendship Survival Guide[Book #0 Usborne Life Skills] – Caroline Young

    Harper Collins Australia August 2023 It is absolutely true that all kids, younger or older, will have some friendship issue/s at some point. And certainly we try to help them navigate this as best we can in our respective educational or other settings. Which makes books such as this tremendously important to have at hand.…