Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Friday Barnes 11: Last Chance – R. A. Spratt

    Penguin Australia Oh Friday, you just get betterer and betterer! Readers will remember my anecdote of the dismay felt by my coterie of Friday fans, when the ‘last’ in the (original) series was announced, and was confirmed by my (then) recent conversation with Rachel over afternoon tea. Subsequently – and by then in a different…

  • The PM’s Daughter – Meredith Costain

    Penguin Australia March 2022 ISBN: 9781761046704 Imprint: Puffin RRP: $16.99 I’m well aware that many things just pass me by – especially when it comes to TV. To be fair, though The Kid is a teen, she would be way too engrossed with her horror movies to watch a show on the ABC but it appears that this…

  • Outback Wonder – Juliet M. Sampson

    Brolga Publishing 2017 ISBN: 9781925367935 RRP $19.99 Many of you will be familiar with Juliet’s recent picture book, Grace’s Mystery Seed, which has been widely praised and garnered considerable accolades – and rightly so. However you may not be so well acquainted with her earlier novels which have also been positively received. Outback Wonder is Juliet’s…

  • Just Breathe – Andrew Daddo

    Penguin Australia 9780143573623 July 30, 2018 RRP: $17.99 It must be hard to be so multi-talented *wry face*.  Andrew Daddo has certainly proven his ability as not only a media figure but a very able and engaging writer. I’ve not been enthralled in recent times by a lot of the YA coming my way –…

  • I am Out with Lanterns – Emily Gale

    Penguin Random House 9780143782766 July 30, 2018 Random House Australia Children’s RRP $17.99 One of us is in the dark.  One of us is a bully. One of us wants to be understood. One of us loves a girl who loves another. One of us remembers the past as if it just happened. One of…

  • Pretty Girls Don’t Eat – Winnie Salamon

    Ford St Publishing Jul 2017 9781925272772 AUD$17.95, NZD$22.99   “Body image is one of the top concerns for young people in Australia right now,” Dr Vivienne Lewis, associate professor and clinical psychologist at the University of Canberra told The Huffington Post Australia. November 2016   Eating disorders are estimated to affect approximately 9% of the Australian population.…

  • Tell it to the Moon- Siobhan Curham

    Walker Books ISBN: 9781406366150 1 Aug 2017 RRP $16.99   Readers of The Moonlight Dreamers will be delighted to receive this second book in the series – I know I was!   The four girls who formed the Moonlight Dreamers club because none of them felt like they fitted in anywhere else are back and…

  • Girl vs. Boy Band: The Right Track – Harmony Jones

    Bloomsbury Publishing Australia Published: 01-07-2016 ISBN: 9781408868546 Imprint: Bloomsbury Childrens RRP: $14.99 If you have girls who are pop fans and are looking for a little innocent romance along with an engaging story, this will be a very popular addition to your collection. It’s light and frothy and a bit bubble-gummy but perfect for tweens…