Author(s): Clare Hayes

Middle (8-12 years)

A laugh-out-loud, rapid-fire story about imperfect families, enemies, friends, and loyalty Growing up in rural Australia is anything but boring. Just ask 12-year-old Earl Grey. Dead mice on dinner plates, horses in hallways and goats in the lounge room are all part of the experience. Earl’s parents aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer either, but with his best mate Bruiser by his side, Earl can navigate almost any situation. The question is: can Earl outrun his arch nemesis, Division A basketball captain Slam Dunk, before he’s beaten to a pulp? To stand a chance, Earl decides he’ll need a solar-powered racing caravan with rocket boosters. When he takes a job shovelling horse poo at the racecourse for a mobster who quit the mafia to take up antiquing, Earl learns the value of good connections and finds out how far $27 goes towards a survival plan.