best friends
big family story for kids
books for kids aged 8 9 10 11 12 year olds
Category=YFN
Category=YFQ
Category=YXZH
cats
CBCA shortlisted author
contemporary Aboriginal family story
eq_bestseller
eq_childrens
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_personal-social-topics
eq_teenage-young-adult
forthcoming
friendship
funny children's book about siblings
Funny middle child story
home insecurity
homelessness
introverted main character
poverty
precariousness
Readings Children's Prize
school buddy story
shy kid story
single-parent families
Product details
- ISBN 9781761182709
- Dimensions: 128 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 04 Aug 2026
- Publisher: Allen & Unwin
- Publication City/Country: AU
- Product Form: Paperback
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Dad likes rules. Mum likes order. My siblings like breaking both.
Leon is having a bad time - his best friend Jacob has moved to Alaska, he's not allowed to look after Jacob's cat, he has to be a buddy to the weird new kid, and no one in his family listens to him. The only place he feels calm is under his bed, listening to cat-themed songs.
When Leon encourages his parents to help out the new kid, his problems get worse. Everyone in Leon's family seems to like Victor better than him. He tries to tell them how he's feeling, but how can a quiet person like Leon make himself heard in such a loud family?
'Perfect for fans of Andy Griffiths, Paul Jennings and Morris Gleitzman.' Books+Publishing
'A warm, laugh-out-loud funny, purring fuzzball of a book.' Sophie Beer, award-winning author of Thunderhead
'Perfectly captures the chaos of large-family dynamics with humour, warmth and compassion.' Nathan Luff, bestselling author of the Nerd Herd series
'Six siblings and one bathroom - it's a recipe for high drama!' RA Spratt, bestselling author of the Friday Barnes series
Perfect for:
- Readers aged 8-12 who love funny stories about friends and family set in the real world
- Fans of books by authors like Maryam Master or Morris Gleitzman
- Parents, teachers and educators wanting a funny contemporary story that has meaningful themes for discussion
Leon is having a bad time - his best friend Jacob has moved to Alaska, he's not allowed to look after Jacob's cat, he has to be a buddy to the weird new kid, and no one in his family listens to him. The only place he feels calm is under his bed, listening to cat-themed songs.
When Leon encourages his parents to help out the new kid, his problems get worse. Everyone in Leon's family seems to like Victor better than him. He tries to tell them how he's feeling, but how can a quiet person like Leon make himself heard in such a loud family?
'Perfect for fans of Andy Griffiths, Paul Jennings and Morris Gleitzman.' Books+Publishing
'A warm, laugh-out-loud funny, purring fuzzball of a book.' Sophie Beer, award-winning author of Thunderhead
'Perfectly captures the chaos of large-family dynamics with humour, warmth and compassion.' Nathan Luff, bestselling author of the Nerd Herd series
'Six siblings and one bathroom - it's a recipe for high drama!' RA Spratt, bestselling author of the Friday Barnes series
Perfect for:
- Readers aged 8-12 who love funny stories about friends and family set in the real world
- Fans of books by authors like Maryam Master or Morris Gleitzman
- Parents, teachers and educators wanting a funny contemporary story that has meaningful themes for discussion
Anton Clifford-Motopi's passion is writing funny and thought-provoking stories for children. His stories explore themes of self-identity, family relationships and friendship, drawing from his experiences of being black with light skin, growing up in a large adoptive family and raising four children. Anton's debut novel, To and Fro, was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards and the Readings Children's Prize. He lives in Brisbane with his family. www.antoncliffordmotopi.com
