Your Next Read Silver: The Lonely Lunch Club by Maddy Mara

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!

About the Author: 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 an author, illustrator and animator from Melbourne. Her work is a combination of watercolour, ink and painting. She is the written and illustrated over 20 children’s books. As a background artist and animator in Australia and Canada, Laura has worked on animated television shows for PBS, Disney, Warner Bros, Netflix, ABC and more.

24 Feb 2026
 

Your Next Read Silver: The Lonely Lunch Club by Maddy Mara ISBN 9781923419308