Review Detail

The Downunder Kid is a great book for a bit of light-hearted reading, although it does also deal to some extent with the issue of bullying.
Overall, the story is funny and the bullying aspect does not drag the reader down. On the contrary, it throws a positive light on dealing with being bullied and even a little insight into the bully's psyche.
The book is ideal for children aged 8 and upwards, who enjoy a bit of adventure and humour in their reading.
The characters in the book are believable and appealing (OK they are not all appealing but they are all believable if a little eccentric in some cases!). The main character, Sam, is an extremely likeable boy who is approaching the transition to secondary school. He is intelligent, well-read, a little naive, and not very physical, which is why he is seen as an easy target by the bullies.
Sam enjoys a fantastic adventure, learns a lot and makes loads of new friends in a new country. Through all of this he gains confidence and develops greatly as a person.
When I first read the book I really enjoyed the contrast between Sam's home in London and the land he ends up in, Downunder in the Australian outback. I would say the novel plays up to the stereotypes of the British and Australian nationalities, in a positive and amusing way.
The Downunder Kid is well-structured and a good chapter-based novel. It is a good length for children who are getting used to reading longer books, without being too much of a challenge. The language is easy to read, with some longer words to help develop vocabulary, but I would say that the main aim of the author is to provide young readers with a thoroughly enjoyable read.
The author, Peter M Clutterbuck, shows a great understanding of young people, perhaps attributable to his years as a teacher, and a very good sense of humour which children and adults will appreciate.