Your Next Read Silver: The Lonely Lunch Club
Published on 24. February 2026
108 pages
978-1-76182-531-6 (ISBN)
Description
Your Next Read is the series that will help kids fall in love with reading and reach for the next book ? and the next, and the next!
The series removes reading roadblocks and grows with kids as their reading confidence and reading interests develop. The engaging stories, carefully structured text and illustrations make reading accessible and enjoyable for all kids, whether they are newly independent readers or ready to take the next step.
Do you like FRIENDS, SCHOOL and FUNNY STORIES?
Then this book is YOUR NEXT READ.
One lunchtime, Benji goes to the worst bench in the whole school instead of playing footy. There he meets a girl named Alice and a spider named Mabel. And Mabel needs their help! But can Benji and Alice do it alone?
From the creators of Your Kid's Next Read ? the largest online children's book community in Australia ? comes a new chapter in children's fiction. Join the conversation on Facebook today!
Each book is expertly designed to support children who may be struggling with reading. Accessible fonts, carefully spaced text, off-white paper stock, shorter sentences and chapters, and supportive illustrations all work together to reduce overwhelm, build comprehension and create a reader-friendly experience.
The Your Next Read Silver Series for beginner readers are 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with an illustration on every spread supporting short sentences and paragraphs. The Gold Series for emerging independent readers are 144 pages long, divided into eight to ten chapters with three illustrations in each chapter, and featuring more complex narratives.
The easy-to-recognise icons covering themes like friendship, sport, mystery and humour, coupled with much-loved writers and illustrators, means kids can quickly identify the books that interest them most and follow those cues to discover a large library of books in the series to read and collect next.
The series removes reading roadblocks and grows with kids as their reading confidence and reading interests develop. The engaging stories, carefully structured text and illustrations make reading accessible and enjoyable for all kids, whether they are newly independent readers or ready to take the next step.
Do you like FRIENDS, SCHOOL and FUNNY STORIES?
Then this book is YOUR NEXT READ.
One lunchtime, Benji goes to the worst bench in the whole school instead of playing footy. There he meets a girl named Alice and a spider named Mabel. And Mabel needs their help! But can Benji and Alice do it alone?
From the creators of Your Kid's Next Read ? the largest online children's book community in Australia ? comes a new chapter in children's fiction. Join the conversation on Facebook today!
Each book is expertly designed to support children who may be struggling with reading. Accessible fonts, carefully spaced text, off-white paper stock, shorter sentences and chapters, and supportive illustrations all work together to reduce overwhelm, build comprehension and create a reader-friendly experience.
The Your Next Read Silver Series for beginner readers are 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with an illustration on every spread supporting short sentences and paragraphs. The Gold Series for emerging independent readers are 144 pages long, divided into eight to ten chapters with three illustrations in each chapter, and featuring more complex narratives.
The easy-to-recognise icons covering themes like friendship, sport, mystery and humour, coupled with much-loved writers and illustrators, means kids can quickly identify the books that interest them most and follow those cues to discover a large library of books in the series to read and collect next.
More details
Persons
Maddy Mara is the pen name of Melbourne-based creative duo Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger. Hilary and Meredith have been collaborating on children's books for nearly two decades. Hilary is an author and former publishing director; Meredith is the author of countless books for kids and young adults, and teaches English as a foreign language. Maddy Mara is the melding of their respective daughters' names.
Laura Stitzel is a Melbourne-based illustrator, author and animator. Her work spans publishing and television, with credits in background art, character animation and storyboarding for studios producing content for Disney, PBS, Adult Swim, Fox Entertainment and Netflix. She is the author-illustrator of Moonlight Mums and Mr Mo Starts to Grow, and has illustrated numerous picture books and book covers.
Laura Stitzel is a Melbourne-based illustrator, author and animator. Her work spans publishing and television, with credits in background art, character animation and storyboarding for studios producing content for Disney, PBS, Adult Swim, Fox Entertainment and Netflix. She is the author-illustrator of Moonlight Mums and Mr Mo Starts to Grow, and has illustrated numerous picture books and book covers.
