Other Brother

“Bon raised his hand as if to say hello to me, but I turned quickly away. I didn’t want anyone to know that we knew each other, much less that we were related.”

Kieran wants to be part of the cool group at school. He wants to be on the football team. He wants to fit in. But his cousin Bon is different. Different from any kid Kieran has ever met. And he’s ruining things for him. Why can’t Bon just go away?

Which is more being popular, or doing the right thing? This is the question internationally award-winning Australian author Simon French asks readers in his latest junior fiction offering, Other Brother . Follow the growing friendship between two young boys as they deal with bullying, homelessness and mental illness, and learn to accept each other’s differences. If you liked this book check out Simon’s other stories, Change the Locks and Cannily, Cannily .

Short-listed in the Younger Reader’s category of the 2013 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards

“Another finely crafted book from Simon French who understands boys of eleven and tells their stories with effortless fluency.” – Ernie Tucker

“A thoughtful look at both bullying and family-related problems, with a great message about standing up for those you care about.” – Bookseller+Publisher

“At the heart of this novel that unravels tangled threads there is a deep wisdom and an empathy with the human condition, including especially that of children and young people who have experienced loss in any form. Here is literary excellence that puts into perspective cheap thrills, clichéd plotting and stereotyped characterisation. Simon French, you have done it again. Thank you.” – Reading Time magazine

“A deeply moving, well-crafted book. In the usual unique Simon French style, every word counts … This is a story for all the children that are moved about that never belong.” – Buzz Words magazine

“Simon French offers another gritty and realistic story about families and relationships, about a boy on the brink of high school and puberty discovering a more complex world.” – Aussie Reviews

“Highly recommended. Seeing a new book by Simon French is enough to give me goosebumps … This is the sort of story all kids will read and discuss.” – Read Plus

Simon French had his first novel published while he was still at high school. He has since written several novels and picture books that have won a number of awards and have been published worldwide. A primary school teacher, Simon French lives in Australia.