A nice feel-good story with a moral.
Feature image credit: Penguin Books Australia
The Big Switch is the second book in Kristin Darell’s series about twins Abi and Brook. The author lives in New South Wales and loves to tell stories. She too has a twin sister, and worked as a journalist for over 20 years. Now, she spends her time writing books for children.
Abi and Brook are identical twins with the same best friend. They live in a town called Cherry Lake, and have different interests but always put each other first. They love helping out on the Bushcare Community Days with their family, friends, and their dog Murphy. But what happens when Brook, who hates public speaking, wants to be a school leader? Can she talk her sister into breaking the rules? And what would that do to their twin connection?
The first thing we take from this book is that the girls, along with their family and friends, are just really nice people. The girls have morals, and if a mistake is made, an apology quickly follows, which is a good lesson for young readers to learn. They also have really great relationships with their 13-year-old brother Campbell and his friends.
Throughout the book, which is essentially a story about family and friends, making mistakes, and mending relationships, there are other subplots to keep things interesting. The twins discover a mysterious old cubby in the forest which they decide to fix up in their spare time. Their friends are supportive of their other interests, which include playing and singing in a band, and dancing. The twins also encourage their friend Frankie in her efforts to raise enough money to purchase a guitar she has had her eye on.
The Big Switch is suitable for children from about 8 to 12 years old. At 219 pages, it is longer than some middle-grade novels, but it is an easy read. Each chapter ends in a diary entry from both girls and this gives the reader an extra insight into how they are really feeling. An occasional black-and-white illustration by A. Yi adds to the text. Overall, this story leaves the reader feeling good, and sets a positive example for young readers about how to treat people and come back from mistakes.
Reviewed by Sue Mauger
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: August 2026
RRP: $14.99
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