Sam likes his afro, even if he gets bullied over it. One boy in particular loves to grab Sam’s hair and mess it up, drop things in it and generally make Sam angry. Sam has considered cutting it, but being short for his age at 12, he likes the height his fro gives him.

The fact that he is white with a fro does make him look a little different from his peers, but his best mate Aiden doesn’t think he looks weird, accepting Sam for who he is. Sam has always believed what his mum told him about his dad and he’s never been interested in the man that left his mother before he was born. At least until she tells him his dad is in town and wanting to meet him. Mum had never told him the whole truth.

Finally, Sam realises where his distinct hair comes from as his father is black South African, and his journey of figuring out who he really is, begins. He discovers he has more than just his father to add to his family tree, and through a school project about who he is and where he came from, he digs deeper into his true self.

It’s not a straight forward path, with a few bumps, much confusion and many misunderstandings to work through, but with his Mum and Nanna alongside (no matter how annoying or embarrassing they are), and his dad’s love and patience, Sam learns he’s not black and white, a white kid with a black dad or a black kid with white skin. He is Sam, a year 6 student of Wesley State Primary School with great friends, a loving extended family and a future to look forward to.

To and Fro made me laugh out loud in so many places as main character Sam learns who his father is and gets to know him. This humour is effortlessly woven through this story with a serious topic of understanding who you are as a mixed-raced person.

Learning his father is black helps Sam understand his distinctive afro, but there is so much more for Sam to learn about being black, even if he is white. His journey is brilliantly written and will help readers understand the complexities of being mixed-raced in a world that often labels and applies expectations to a person over the colour of their skin.

Sam isn’t the only one that ‘grows’ through the novel. His OTT teacher Mr Peacock has much to learn, as does his judgmental white grandmother, but the author keeps a light heartedness throughout with a farting dog (and Nanna), Sam’s horror at going through puberty, and his quick thinking and funny dialogue.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel written from personal experiences by this author, and look forward to reading anything else he pens. 

Author – Anton Clifford-Motopi

Age – 10+

Learn more about Anton Clifford-Motopi here

(2024, Allen & Unwin, Humour, Funny, Mixed-Race, School Project, Family, Friendship, Family Secret, Being Yourself, Finding Yourself, Growing  Up, Puberty, Love , Blended Family, Black Dad, White Mum, Blackface, Fake Tan, Misunderstandings, South African)