Katie and the Full-Up House: A Story About Big Families, Big Love, and the Gift of Belonging

Seven-year-old Katie loves three things: drawing birds, the smell of rain on the footpath, and her family.

She also finds her family completely, exhaustingly, wonderfully overwhelming.

There are five Brennan children — bossy Ivy, noisy Harry, the ginger-haired twin tornadoes Hallie and Poppy, and Katie right in the middle. Dad works long days. Mum is always busy. And Katie has been carrying a drawing in her pocket for two weeks, waiting for the right moment to show someone. Waiting to be seen.

When the house finally goes quiet one Thursday afternoon and Katie gets exactly what she thought she wanted — peace, space, nobody needing anything from her — she discovers something surprising: she doesn't like it at all.

A warm, funny, and deeply comforting story about being the middle child in a big, busy, beautiful family. Katie and the Full-Up House reminds young readers that love doesn't run out when it's shared — it grows. And that a house full of people who love you is not a burden. It's a gift.

Woven with Christian faith, Psalm 127:3, and the kind of family moments every child will recognise, this book is perfect for:

• Children in big families who sometimes feel lost in the noise
• Middle children who need to know they are seen
• Families wanting to talk about siblings, gratitude and belonging
• Christian read-alouds at home, school or church

Includes book-club discussion questions and a note for grown-ups.

For girls aged 5–9. Australian setting and spelling.