Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody – Patrick Ness. Illustrated by Tim Miller.

    Walker Books September 2024 ISBN13:9781529517958 Australia RRP:$16.99 New Zealand RRP:$18.99 I absolutely love Patrick Ness’ writing. The Chaos Walking trilogy is my all-time favourite YA read. And A Monster Calls is one of the most beautiful, powerful and poignant explorations of pain and grief ever, and breaks me every time I read it. In fact,…

  • The 113th Assistant Librarian – Stuart Wilson

    Penguin Australia When you get an ARC all wrapped up pretty just like a birthday present, you can be pretty sure it’s going to be an exciting surprise inside and so it was. I mean to say, how could they possibly go wrong sending me something called this with a stern warning about the magic…

  • Yarn Quest series – Brooke Scobie. Illustrated by Jade Goodwin

    Penguin July 2024 RRP: $12.99 Yarn Quest 1: The Search for the Story Realm ISBN: 9781761345227 So This is an exciting new series that has evolved from a highly-successful First Nations led children’s podcast, incorporating stories written by the Awesome Black team. Author Brooke Scobie is, herself, a queer, auDHD, First Nations author, and this has…

  • Salt Runs Through – Mark Rafidi

    Hawkeye Books October 2024 ISBN: 9781923105218 ISBN-10: 1923105213 RRP: $26.99 I was so keen to review this, so thank you Hawkeye, and what a fabulous read it is! Set in Ulladulla, one of my favouritest places in the world [was always my dream retirement plan] at the time of the Currowan bushfire, such a dark time back…

  • Taronga Presents series – Kristin Darrell. Illustrations by Laura Wood.

    Penguin Australia September 2024 Brand spanking new this week comes this terrific new series for junior readers who are the animal lovers in your crowd. Having raised mini-Attenborough for half her life and watched her obsession with all creatures great and small (quite literally – at one time she had 34 pets including all the…

  • Aisle Nine – Ian X. Cho

    Harper Collins Australia September 2024 Your fans of Stranger Things, Good Omens and Wednesday, any horror x comedy x side-serve of romance, are absolutely going to love this one. When I was asked to write the teaching notes I was not quite sure after reading the summary but honestly, reading it was a whole lot…

  • Allen the Alien – Stephanie Ward & Aleck Morton

    Yellow Brick Books/Riveted Press June 2024 ISBN13: 9780648492511 Distributed by Simon & Schuster RRP: $24.99 If you love J.Lo (Oh), from the movie Home (and the books The True Meaning of Smekday/Smek for President) as much as I do, you are certainly going to love Allen. And your kiddos will also love this quirky character…

  • Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra – Cassy Polimeni. Illustrated by Hykie Breeze

    UWA Publishing July 2024 ISBN: 9781760802899 RRP: $15.99 I had to wait a while to get my hands on this one but it was definitely worth the wait. This is the first in a four book series by relative newcomer Cassy Polimeni and it is a super start indeed. Ella, and her family, has just…

  • Queen of Dogs – Joe Weatherstone

    Walker Books June 2024 ISBN13:9781760658588 Australia RRP:$16.99 New Zealand RRP:$18.99 What a super fun read this was!! It’s a real mixed bag – humour, drama, mystery, family and … doggos galore! Maddy often feels like the changeling in her family of high-flyers. They are all very sporty and academic and always on the go-go-GO! Maddy,…

  • Like a Curse – Elle McNicoll

    Walker Books Australia August 2024 Imprint: Knights Of ISBN13:9781913311377 Australia RRP:$17.99 New Zealand RRP:$19.99 I absolutely loved Like a Charm and so, I naturally started to gobble this one up as soon as it arrived two days ago and now as I start to write the review, realise it’s not released till August 🤦 (started…