Bored: Frog’s Mystery Twin

Matt Stanton

ABC Books, 2022

224pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

780733342042

“I can get myself in all sorts of trouble when I’m bored … My name is Frog and this may have been a very bad idea. I’ve started at this new school and when you’re trying to fit in the best thing you can do is just try something totally crazy! Right?

Well, it seemed like a good plan. Only now Luisa has decided I’m her favourite person to make fun of, Evie thinks I’m completely nuts, Milo’s grumpy about something or other and I’m about to tell everyone the whole story about my secret twin brother with the same name. True story! I swear.”

We first met Frog in the first of this series from the author of Funny Kids and The Odds in which Stanton again demonstrates his ability to turn everyday situations and authentic characters that readers will recognise into stories that engage even the most reluctant readers. Now it’s his turn to be in the spotlight as he navigates being the new kid on the block and in the school, a situation that will be familiar to many readers.

As these wet holidays drag along, this could be the perfect antidote particularly with the promise of the third in the series coming soon, and readers being encouraged to send their reviews direct to Matt Stanton himself.