To and Fro

Sam tries to understand what it means to be black in this funny Australian story about identity, family and friendship.

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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 lives with his white mum (annoying but not smelly) and brown dog Trevor (smelly but not annoying). He's never met his father. He just knows that his father is black. But a surprise visit has Sam questioning who he really is. Is he a white kid with a black dad? Or a black kid with white skin? Or half-black and half-white? Not only does Sam want to know these answers, he has to know them to finish his annoying homework and perform in the school concert. But how can he make his outside match his insides if he doesn't know who he is?

A delightfully funny story about family and identity, and what it means to be truly Sam.

'Cheeky, funny and full of heart, To and Fro will have you cheering for Sam right till the end.' H. Hayek, bestselling author of Huda and Me

'Exuberant, hilarious and messy (just like life!), To and Fro is perfect for kids who feel like their outsides don't match their insides.' Rebecca Lim, multi-award-winning author of Tiger Daughter

'Truly satisfying, moving and entertaining. A much-needed novel in Australian children's literature.' Emily Gale, award-winning author of The Goodbye Year

'A heartfelt and humorous exploration of the complexities of growing up mixed race in Australia.' Books+Publishing