Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • The Sea Captain’s Wife – Jackie French

    Harper Collins Australia It really is a given, that a new Jackie French book means that all other books are put on hold (even if half-read!) until I have devoured the newest. And that’s exactly what has happened over the past few days. Just under 500 pages flew by over a couple of nights as…

  • Picture Book Month Bonus #5: Secret Sparrow – Jackie French

    November 2023 Yet again, Jackie brings her extraordinary talent for both unearthing hidden history, and weaving it into gripping narrative to readers. It seems that shedding light on the long-lost life stories of women in action of all kinds, is a particular passion. I have been waiting for almost two months to post this review…

  • The Turtle and the Flood – Jackie French/Danny Snell

    Harper Collins Australia I could be mistaken, but I do think many of us would be familiar with these little darlings, at least by sight, even if not from personal experience. I think that kiddos would also know these guys from pictures and/or real life. There would be some as well, particularly (I think in…

  • Ming & Hilde Lead a Revolution (The Girls Who Changed the World #3) – Jackie French

    Harper Collins Australia June 2023 Yesterday, I did a relief day with Preppies. I hadn’t intended to work as I was a bit ache-y, combination of arthritis with the colder weather and possibly, the covid booster but after knocking back four offers, I took the fifth because a) private school I’d never visited b) the…

  • Becoming Mrs Mulberry – Jackie French

    Harper Collins Australia When this arrived, I was, as you would expect, tremendously excited – given my love of Jackie’s books, both for kids and adults. I had great plans to relish reading it over the Easter break but then the whole pesky moving house thing intervened. Last Saturday it was three weeks since the…

  • Diary of a Rescued Wombat – Jackie French/Bruce Whatley

    Harper Collins November 2022 Twenty years ago Jackie French and Bruce Whatley collaborated on what was to be the first of ‘the Wombat’ books, and you might say, the rest is history! To celebrate this milestone, this is an absolutely not-to-be-missed prequel to the entire series with the story of the rescue of Mothball –…

  • Ming & Flo Fight for the Future: (The Girls Who Changed the World #1) – Jackie French

    Harper Collins March 2022 A brand new series from Jackie French is always cause for great excitement, and this one is going to be a corker, given this fabulous start! We have all been awed by Jackie’s wealth of historical novels and her indomitable female characters over the years. Now younger readers have the opportunity…

  • Christmas Always Comes – Jackie French/Bruce Whatley

    Harper Collins Australia October 2021 ISBN: 9781460757895 ISBN 10: 1460757890 Imprint: HarperCollins AU List Price: 24.99 AUD Jackie and Bruce are always a formidable team, and their picture books are always memorable and en pointe despite the setting, theme or plot. In this instance, while the narrative reflects a period past – one of many tough times in Australian…

  • No Hearts of Gold – Jackie French

    Harper Collins December 2021 ISBN: 9781460757925 ISBN 10: 1460757920 Imprint: HarperCollins AU List Price: 29.99 AUD If you’ve read this blog before no doubt, you have noticed my immense admiration for the talent of Jackie French and, in particular, her outstanding historical fiction. Her seemingly effortless recreation of the past always has the power to transport the reader into…

  • Night Ride into Danger – Jackie French

    Harper Collins Australia May 2021 ISBN: 9781460758939 ISBN 10: 1460758935 Imprint: HarperCollins AU RRP: $16.99 Again Jackie has crafted a narrative that combines fact and fiction to take readers back in time to colonial Australia where it was commonplace to meet diverse characters and perhaps even more commonplace not to know everything there is to know about those…

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