The Orchard Underground

An explosive, suspenseful and utterly brilliant middle-grade mystery for fans of Louis Sachar’s Holes.  Not-quite twelve year-old Pri Kohli knows the town of Dunn’s Orchard better than anyone. After all, he was the first kid ever to live there. He knows its mysteries (none), its secrets (also none) and the best ways to have fun in it (climb a big tree and sit there). So why can’t he answer newcomer Attica Stone’s simple question: if the town’s called Dunn’s Orchard, where’s the orchard? As Pri and Attica go in search of forbidden fruit, they uncover stranger mysteries: a robot caterpillar, a mayor with a murky past, a Possibly Real Actual Boogeyman and a house made of doors in a haunted wood. But what will Pri and Attica do when they discover the biggest secret of all – that something truly magical is about to be destroyed, and the only way to save it could be by destroying the town itself? Mat Larkin’s stunning debut is a big-hearted, wildly surprising and deliciously well-plotted mystery for readers aged 8+ about the joy of discovery, and digging just that little bit deeper to uncover the truth.   Shortlisted for the 2019 Readings Children's Book Prize Longlisted for the 2019 ABDA Awards: Best Designed Children's Book

About the Author :
Mat Larkin is full of it.   I mean, he says he’s a writer of exciting middle-grade adventure stories, but anyone could say that. He’s been overheard telling people he crafts tales where the not-quite-ordinary meets the nearly impossible, but if that’s true, what wouldn’t he make up?   Did he really write for the Zac Power series? Does he currently work as a mental health writer? Is this entire biography part of his cunning web of fiction? It seems likely.   No-one with half a brain in their head believes he lives in Melbourne with an incredible wife and an improbable son.   I’ll give him this, though: The Orchard Underground is his first novel. https://matlarkin.com

Review :
'Is there anything better than reading about a group of buddies taking on the world for the first time? The Orchard Underground made me laugh, clutch my chest, get misty-eyed and wish for that wonderful, confusing time when I was on the threshold of big changes and huge possibilities.  I cheered Pri, Attica and Slotcar on at every turn and grew to love every big weirdo in this strange town. Larkin has perfectly captured the novelty, mystery, growing pains, silliness and emotional rollercoaster of the tween years, and wrapped it up into one wondrously odd and unpredictable adventure.’  – Leanne Hall, author of Iris and The Tiger and This is Shyness ‘The Orchard Underground is a brilliant mystery that will keep you guessing, as good mysteries always do. It's fast-paced, utterly surprising in its plot, lush in its descriptions and packed with characters so real they step off the page.’ – Cath Crowley, author of Words in Deep Blue and the Gracie Faltrain series ‘Smart, mysterious and funny. This book will make you think, make you laugh, and keep you guessing.’  – Rebecca Stead, author of When You Reach Me and Liar & Spy   ‘I really enjoyed reading The Orchard Underground. It was fresh and funny, bursting with interesting characters, but Attica Stone stole the show. She's a Dangerous Idea, a Law Unto Herself, and probably a Very Bad Influence ... naturally, I loved her.’ – Penni Russon, author of The Endsister and Only Ever Always   ‘The Orchard Underground is a funny and intriguing debut that’s mercifully free of a ‘tween’ sensibility but never patronising to its upper-primary readers. The two child characters are deliciously peculiar but still believable. Mat Larkin’s rich use of language will reward intelligent readers, but flows so smoothly it will also be accessible for those less confident. His humour and zany imagination are never a distraction from the narrative, which maintains an increasingly insistent pace as it approaches its (nearly too fantastical) conclusion.’ – Anica Boulanger-Mashberg, Junior Books + Publishing         'Is there anything better than reading about a group of buddies taking on the world for the first time? The Orchard Underground made me laugh, clutch my chest, get misty-eyed and wish for that wonderful, confusing time when I was on the threshold of big changes and huge possibilities.  I cheered Pri, Attica and Slotcar on at every turn and grew to love every big weirdo in this strange town. Larkin has perfectly captured the novelty, mystery, growing pains, silliness and emotional rollercoaster of the tween years, and wrapped it up into one wondrously odd and unpredictable adventure.’  – Leanne Hall, author of Iris and The Tiger and This is Shyness The Orchard Underground is a brilliant mystery that will keep you guessing, as good mysteries always do. It's fast-paced, utterly surprising in its plot, lush in its descriptions and packed with characters so real they step off the page. – Cath Crowley, author of Words in Deep Blue and the Gracie Faltrain series Smart, mysterious and funny. This book will make you think, make you laugh, and keep you guessing.  – Rebecca Stead, author of When You Reach Me and Liar & Spy I really enjoyed reading The Orchard Underground. It was fresh and funny, bursting with interesting characters, but Attica Stone stole the show. She's a Dangerous Idea, a Law Unto Herself, and probably a Very Bad Influence... naturally, I loved her. – Penni Russon, author of The Endsister and Only Ever Always