Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Piper at the Gates of Dusk – Patrick Ness

    Walker Books Australia April 2026 ISBN13:9781529537581 Australia RRP:$29.99 New Zealand RRP:$32.99 I have never made any secret of the fact that Chaos Walking is my favourite dystopian of all time. And, in fact, Patrick Ness, is definitely in my Top 10 favourite authors as well. So not only was I panting with anticipation waiting on…

  • Feathers of Farwood and the Gripps Curse – Jayne McIntyre

    Riveted Press Distributed by Simon & Schuster March 2026 ISBN13: 9781764256704 RRP: $AU22.99 / NZ$ 26.99 I could have actually written this review 3 months ago because I was lucky enough to be able to write teaching notes for this absolutely gorgeous book back in December. I was thrilled when Jayne contacted me and I…

  • Oxford Blood — Rachel Davis Featherstone

    Walker Books Synchronicity yet again. For one thing my other YA review for Halloween is also dark academia, full of privilege vs scholarship, ruthlessness, power-hungry educational institutions, murder/s, set in an elite institution. And, also, as I’ve just re-read via audiobook The Book of Dust #1 & #2 and the setting of Oxford with references…

  • Walls – Tania Ingram. Illustrated by Ruth-Mary Smith.

    Wombat Books July 2024 ISBN: 9781761111518 RRP: $26.99 Really, isn’t Tania Ingram just so multi-skilled? From the JF humour of Jinny & Cooper and Aggie Flea to the recently released The Other Shadow for older readers (a must-read if you haven’t already) through to picture books with heart such as Oma’s Buttons, she is an…

  • The Riding Gallery – Sally Murphy. Illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

    Walker Books Australia July 2024 ISBN13:9781760657345 Australia RRP:$16.99 New Zealand RRP:$18.99 Yes, I said not so long ago that I’m not a huge fan of verse novels, and there are only a few exceptions. Sally Murphy’s are one of those rare anomalies. Each one is so utterly absorbing, with such beautiful narrative flow that I…

  • The Unexpected Mess of it All- Gabrielle Tozer

    Harper Collins Australia May 2024 Oh yes, a rom-com that will have your young readers absolutely in paroxyms of delight! This was just so engaging from the very first page, and I loved every word, character and certainly, the outcome. Jamila Dakhoul feels her life is in a complete mess. Since her family home (and…

  • Those Girls -Pamela Rushby

    Walker Books Australia April 2024 ISBN13:9781760657840 Australia RRP:$19.99 New Zealand RRP:$22.99 Pamela Rushby’s books are always a treat. For me though, it’s a given that those historical fictions set in Brisbane are the most fascinating. Because I didn’t grow up here, I knew a bare minimum of the city’s history prior to moving here in…

  • The Wonder of Small Things (Young Readers edition) – Vince Copley with Lea McInerney

    Harper Collins Australia January 2024 Most readers of this blog know that my kids and grandies are Aboriginal – Wiradjuri mob. For my thirty+ years of teaching, I’ve been a learner of cross-cultural knowledge, embedded these perspectives in my teaching programmes and availed myself of every opportunity to find out more. But, I’ll be honest,…

  • The Samosa Rebellion – Shanthi Sekaran

    Harper Collins AustraliaNovember 2023 This author is completely new to me, but by all accounts very well-known and highly thought of in America where she is a novelist and TV writer. This is her first middle-grade book and completely captivated me from the first page. Set in the fictional island nation of Mariposa, protagonist Muki…

  • The Wolves of Greycoat Hall – Lucinda Gifford

    Walker Books ISBN: 9781760651596Imprint: Walker Books AustraliaAustralian RRP: $19.99New Zealand RRP: $22.99 Despite it being the last week of term, this was another fun read this week and one that I enjoyed immensely with so much to commend it, particularly to your middle primary kiddos. The Greycoat family – Randall, Leonora and their only cub, Boris – live in…