Grey Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Odds by Anna Battese

Odie Gusberry-Smith doesn’t like surprises. But when a mysterious package arrives in the mail, she finds The Grey Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Odds – a book that feels like it was written just for her.

Odie is going to need it, because her dad has had the ridiculous idea that they should go on a cruise. When calamity strikes (as she could have told you it would), Odie will need to use every trick in the Guide to keep herself and her alarmingly danger-prone group safe.

Along the way, she might just realise that the Guide is not the only thing she can rely on…

Get ready to join the Grey Berets in this warm, charming and begrudgingly adventurous first instalment of a trilogy that is perfect for worriers great and small.

About the Author: Anna Battese lives in Naarm-Melbourne with her two girls, a well-meaning if wild pair of puppies and an imaginary octopus named Hans Gruber. Once a marine biologist, she now spends her days writing children’s stories full of adventure, whimsy and the occasional catastrophe. Like Odie, Anna feels very nervous about a lot of things.

The Grey Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Odds is Anna’s first middle grade novel.

Erin Reeves lives in Gadigal-Sydney with her boyfriend and their ever-expanding record collection. She owns a cocktail bar called Jangling Jack’s, which is about as fun as it sounds. She loves reading, punk rock, a dangerously sharp pencil and afternoon naps. Her favourite thing to do is draw, and she pinches herself that she gets to draw all day, every day. Like Baby, Erin often finds herself in sticky situations and doesn’t mind that at all.

28 Jul 2026
 

The Grey Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Odds by Anna Battese ISBN 9781923135352