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Stuck in the Middle
Brief Description
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...
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Stuck in the Middle
$1999
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See moreA delightfully funny novel about what it's like to be the middle child of a big, raucous and loving family in a small house with only one toilet, from the CBCA shortlisted author of To and Fro.
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Description
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?
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
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781761182709
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 04 August 2026
Country: Australia
Imprint: A&U Children
Audience: Children
DIMENSIONS
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 288
About the Author
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
Also by Anton Clifford-Motopi
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To and Fro
SHORTLISTED: 2025 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers SHORTLISTED: 2024 Readings Children's Prize Most kids meet their parents when they're born. All they need to do to impress them is poop, sleep and make goo-goo ga-ga sounds. But I'm twelve. None of that is going to impress my father.Sam thinks he's a weird-looking white kid with an afro. He...Paperback$1999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
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