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Paddy T and the Time-travelling Trampoline (Adam France, illus by Zahra Zainal, A&U)

Paddy’s just an average 12-year-old. He lives with his mum and dad, his older sister Nina, brother Troy and baby sister Bella. His best mate at school is Marty. He’s got a paper round, and a crush on a girl in his class. Oh, and the local golf course has a monster, his cousin Zoe is a genius inventor, and his dad has just brought home a trampoline that sends you through time when you bounce on it. Yes, Paddy is just an average 12-year-old, dealing with some very weird adventures. Adam France’s new book is a collection of tall tales in the tradition of Paul Jennings and Andy Griffiths. Leaning more on the improbable and hilarious than the realistic and gross, these stories are fast-paced and whimsical, sketching their strange situations deftly and maintaining their momentum well. France’s prose is ably supported by Zahra Zainal’s spot sketches, which capture the colourful characters and situations in a light, amusing style. Paddy T and the Time-travelling Trampoline is a fun read for upper-primary fans of treehouses and the unlikely.

Heath Graham is a teacher and former bookseller

 

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