Laughter is the Best Ending

2025 CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR: Younger Readers

By: Maryam Master

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Paperback | 13 August 2024

At a Glance

Paperback
272 Pages

Age
9+

Dimensions(cm)
2.3 x 13.2 x 20.1

Paperback

RRP $16.99

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Zee is a loner. She likes to read Oscar Wilde and watch documentaries all day which, according to her parents, is not normal for 13 year olds. So they decide to send her on a five-day holiday camp, hoping she'll make 'at least one friend'.

Now, Zee would rather take a bath in Tabasco sauce than attend a camp called Youth Fusion. But with influencer Tiffanee and super-nerds Jonah and Moses, she soon finds herself in the middle of a hair-rising mystery, hurling her into some fierce detective work and bringing her face to face with the notorious Old Bat Viv.

Praise for Laughter is the Best Ending

'Laugh out loud material, whip smart writing, and meaningful. I had a little cry at the end.' Karen Foxlee, author of Lenny's Book of Everything

'I found it so energising! Zee plays with words like a gymnast. We click with her from the very start - she's funny, frank, fair and feisty! This story will be a hit with young readers.' Anna Fienberg, author of the Tashi series

About the Author

Maryam Master is a screenwriter, playwright and author who loves creating stories for young people.

She has adapted four of David Walliams' books for the stage - Mr Stink, Billionaire Boy, The Midnight Gang and Ratburger - as well as Oliver Jeffers' The Incredible Book Eating Boy, all of which premiered at the Sydney Opera House and toured across Australia.

Maryam's first novel, Exit Through the Gift Shop, was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, the CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers and the ABIA Book of the Year for Younger Children 2022. Her second novel, No Words, was winner of the Children's Peace Literature Award and the Readings Children's Prize 2023, and was a CBCA Notable Book for Younger Readers.

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Kids & Children's Books Children, Teenagers & Young Adults (YA) Fiction General, Modern & Contemporary Fiction for Children & Teenagers Humorous Stories for Children & Teenagers

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