Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Normal Women Making History for 900 years – Philippa Gregory

    Illustrations by Alexis Snell Red Shed March 2025ISBN: 9780008725075 I am quite familiar with Philippa Gregory’s writing. Those books I have read are marvellous examples of historical fiction with such elegant blending of fact and fiction. But the title of this intrigued me as soon as I saw it. I had, in fact, no idea…

  • The Mushroom in the Sky – Jackie French

    Harper Collins Australia July 2025 ISBN: 9781460766057 ISBN 10: 1460766059 Imprint: HarperCollins AU RRP: $17.99 If there’s anything more exciting than new Jackie French historical fiction, it’s getting your hands on it before anyone else and writing teaching notes for it. In light of the 80th Anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing coming up (and ergo, the end of…

  • The Year We Escaped – Suzanne Leal

    Harper Collins Australia June 2025 ISBN: 9781460765906 ISBN 10: 1460765907 Imprint: HarperCollins AU List Price: 17.99 AUD Suzanne Leal’s Running with Ivan was a book that took me to a very different part of the Second World War, and it was a privilege to write the teaching notes for it. I was lucky enough to be asked to write…

  • Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo – Phillipa Leathley

    Harper Collins Australia January 2025 ISBN: 9780008660956 ISBN 10: 0008660956 Imprint: HarperCollins GB List Price: 17.99 AUD While it took me a while to get to this on the review shelf, and then it’s taken me a few weeks to get the review written, it only took me two sessions to actually read this completely enthralling and wildly different…

  • Detective Galileo- Peter Helliar. Illustrated by Andrew Joyner.

    Harper Collins Australia June 2025 ISBN: 9781460766217 ISBN 10: 1460766210 Imprint: HarperCollins AU List Price: 15.99 AUD While I’m not a big fan of ‘celebrity’ authored books in general, and always ready to be unimpressed, I have to say that this isn’t dreadful at all. And, in particular, if you have some kiddos who are reluctant or struggling readers…

  • The Whisperer’s War – Jackie French

    Harper Collins Australia ISBN: 9781038903891 ISBN 10: 1038903890 Imprint: HQ Fiction AU RRP: $34.99 As always, Jackie’s historical fiction is perfection. I was aware of this one in progress and, in fact, had had some (email) conversation with the author about this period, and in particular Edward known as David, the Duke of Windsor. My anecdote was that…

  • R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins – Lucie Stevens

    Harper Collins Australia June 2025 ISBN: 9781460766521 ISBN 10: 1460766520 $16.99 It’s one thing having a strict but kind and fair Nanny who is alive – and quite another when that Nanny is dead. Nine-year-old Albertine is a sweet child, who is without a mother but with a very loving and protective father. He is, in fact,…

  • Learning Country: a First Nations Journey Around Australia’s Traditional Place Names – Ryhia Dank

    Harper Collins Australia ISBN: 9781460765517 ISBN 10: 1460765516 Imprint: HarperCollins AU RRP: $24.99 Ryhia Dank is a Gudanji/Wakaja woman who grew up in a remote community in the Gulf of Carpentaria. She got to know her Country though the stories her family told, and through walking in the places and footprints her family has travelled since the beginning.…

  • This is a Ball 10th Anniversary Edition #1 Books that Drive Kids Crazy – Beck & Matt Stanton

    Harper Collins Australia April 2025 ISBN: 9780733343780 ISBN 10: 0733343783 Imprint: ABC Books AU RRP: $26.99 Doesn’t really seem possible that it’s 10 years since the extraordinary humour of the Stantons burst onto the scene, sending hordes of kids into absolute fits of laughter. Yet, here we are, the laughs kept on coming too, which was a great…

  • Ming and Maria Explore the Universe: The Girls Who Changed the World #5 – Jackie French

    Harper Collins Australia ISBN: 9781460764886 ISBN 10: 1460764889 Imprint: HarperCollins AU RRP: $16.99 Once again, I was delighted to be asked to write the notes for this last title in what has been an inspiring series for our young people. It was particularly special as Jackie and I had had some conversations about this particular ‘mighty girl’ of…