Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • The Adventures of Catvinkle – Elliot Perlman

    Penguin Random House 9780143786368 October 1, 2018 Puffin RRP $19.99   Well regarded author of adult books Elliot Perlman has ably proven that he can turn his hand just as easily to writing for children with this first book for younger readers. It is delightfully whimsical and carries a literary flavour of its Amsterdam setting…

  • Maya & Cat – Caroline Magerl

    Walker Books Australia ISBN: 9781921977282 Release Date: August 1, 2018 Australian RRP: $24.99 New Zealand RRP: $27.99 Throughout our college and certainly in my library at present we are having a great focus on kindness and empathy. With my little people I am using a range of picture books which offer this theme that also feature animals as this…

  • Other Worlds #3 & #4 – George Ivanoff

      Penguin Random House RRP $14.99 #3 Game World 9780143786238 May 28, 2018 Random House Australia Children’s   George’s new series will be just as popular as his previous offerings I predict and this one particularly is clearly going to have huge appeal to the ‘gamers’ in your reading audience. Hall is not very special…

  • Surf Riders Club 2: Bronte’s Big Sister Problem – Mary Van Reyk

    Hachette Australia FEB 27, 2018 | 9780734417923 | RRP $12.99   As I predicted the first in this series has been very popular in our library – after all we are in the beautiful Sunshine Coast and surfing is a prime pastime! So I have no doubt at all that this second in the series will be just as…

  • The Chocolate Factory Ghost – David O’Connell

    Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408887066 ISBN-10: 1408887061 Series: The Dundoodle Mysteries Published: 1st May 2018 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing RRP; $12.99 Archie McBudge has lucky underpants. He knows he does because he and his mum have just discovered that Archie has inherited a huge mansion, a famous sweets factory and more from his Great-Uncle Archibald. What makes this even more astonishing is that…

  • 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…

  • Alice-Miranda in Scotland [#17]– Jacqueline Harvey

    Random House Australia Children’s ISBN 9780143786016 May 2018 RRP $16.99   What could possibly be more delightful than our favourite BFF immersed in Scotland’s culture and icons?  The inaugural Queen’s Colours leadership program for children is kicking off in the land of Burns, Bruce and Braveheart and Alice-Miranda (after a tricky start) as well as…

  • The 1, 000-Year-Old Boy – Ross Welford

    Harper Collins Australia January 2018 ISBN 10: 0008256942 Imprint: HarperCollins – GB ISBN: 9780008256944 Pages: 400 List Price: 14.99 AUD   Alfie Monk is not your average eleven year old boy. He is ‘proficient in Old Norse, Old English, Middle English and Modern English, plus French, Latin and Greek (ancient and modern, though they are not so dissimilar), and [has]…

  • Piglettes – Clementine Beauvais

    Penguin Random House Imprint: Pushkin Press ISBN 9781782691204 August 2017 RRP $16.99 This superb YA novel deals with some pretty gritty issues like bullying (cyber and real life), self image, identity and family relationships and is one of the most wickedly funny books you’ll read all year. Mireille, Astrid and Hakima are three girls at…

  • Ava’s Big Move – Surf Riders Club #1 – Mary Van Reyk

      Hachette Children’s Books Imprint: Lothian Children’s Books September 2017 9780734417909 RRP $12.99 First in a new series designed to encourage more girls into the sport of surfing this kicks off in a very promising manner. Ava’s parents have decided on a sea change which means that Ava is leaving behind her big city life,…