Stuck in the Middle

'Stuck in the Middle' by Anton Clifford-Motopi, depicts the classic middle child syndrome and how the middle child feels in a large family. Leon, the main character, often feels like he isn’t listened to, doesn’t fit in, and struggles with his emotions. He goes through a lot of different events and situations that cause him to react in certain ways that he can’t quite put into words.

At the start of the book, I found it a bit slow to get into, but once I continued on reading it became more interesting. It definitely felt a bit young for an adult to be reading this, but children reading this book will be able to relate to Leon with how he gets annoyed at things, how he needs to recharge alone, and knowing that sometimes friendship isn’t always easy. Even if you aren’t a middle child, you could still relate to Leon in the way he navigates friendships and school situations. Throughout the book, there are heartwarming moments with Leon’s friends and family too.

The book would be a good read aloud to teach children about how to deal with different emotions. It would create a lot of talking points within the classroom, especially figuring out what alternative actions Leon could have taken.