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| Book 1 - FREE eBook |
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| Book 2 |
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| Book 3 |
Gould,
S. (2014). The Max Books, Volumes 1-3. Orbis Media.
Middle Grade / Adventure
I gave these books 4 out of 5 stars
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The
Max Books
are three fun and funny middle grade books that take readers on adventures
around Australia and Italy with main character Max. Max is the kind of kid that
seems to draw drama wherever he goes. In Max's Revenge, Max gets caught
in every misstep he makes, thanks to the ever watchful eye of his evil
Aunt Avril. As Max plots his revenge and even his amends, nothing seems to work
out in his favor, resulting in some hilarious situations. In Outback
Hero, Max's family has gone on holiday in outback Australia where even
Max's humorous paranoia can't seem to help him escape danger -- whether from
himself, from beasts, or from nature. And in The Venetian Job, yet
another family holiday allows Max's overactive imagination to put him in a
series of action packed situations that just might make for his best
back-to-school story ever.
Author Sally Gould has written books that will have great appeal to the middle grade reader, especially the reluctant reader. Each book can stand alone, so the reading sequence is unimportant. There is plenty of humor and action, and the main character is a little ornery, which is always appealing. The writing is informal with lots of white space and short, easy-to-read chapters. Gould uses a simple vocabulary, but American readers will have some unfamiliar words and phrases and will encounter some variant spellings and Australian slang, which could both cause confusion and pique interest. For example, Max is told to "water the pot plants," says he "barracked" for a soccer team, and he frequently utters "Far out!" which has a completely different meaning than the American hippy usage. Personally, I enjoyed the author's Australian influence throughout the books and the differences could be a great talking point.
There are a few typos and punctuation errors, and the grammarian in me cringed with the numerous times "Charlie and me" was written when it should have been "Charlie and I." However, when reading along and "hearing" the voice of young Max, the incorrect usage seemed natural and was consistent across all three books. Readers never learn Max's exact age, just that he is 2 1/2 years younger than brother Charlie -- a little frustrating and a real curiosity given Max's interest in girls in book one and his fears in book two.
The books are recommended for ages 9 - 12 and are clean. Book one does make several references to alcohol (even naming Jack Daniel's Whiskey), and books two and three have some intense scenes that could frighten younger readers.
Thank you to the author for sharing her books with me in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. I hope we can look forward to more adventures with Max.
Author Sally Gould has written books that will have great appeal to the middle grade reader, especially the reluctant reader. Each book can stand alone, so the reading sequence is unimportant. There is plenty of humor and action, and the main character is a little ornery, which is always appealing. The writing is informal with lots of white space and short, easy-to-read chapters. Gould uses a simple vocabulary, but American readers will have some unfamiliar words and phrases and will encounter some variant spellings and Australian slang, which could both cause confusion and pique interest. For example, Max is told to "water the pot plants," says he "barracked" for a soccer team, and he frequently utters "Far out!" which has a completely different meaning than the American hippy usage. Personally, I enjoyed the author's Australian influence throughout the books and the differences could be a great talking point.
There are a few typos and punctuation errors, and the grammarian in me cringed with the numerous times "Charlie and me" was written when it should have been "Charlie and I." However, when reading along and "hearing" the voice of young Max, the incorrect usage seemed natural and was consistent across all three books. Readers never learn Max's exact age, just that he is 2 1/2 years younger than brother Charlie -- a little frustrating and a real curiosity given Max's interest in girls in book one and his fears in book two.
The books are recommended for ages 9 - 12 and are clean. Book one does make several references to alcohol (even naming Jack Daniel's Whiskey), and books two and three have some intense scenes that could frighten younger readers.
Thank you to the author for sharing her books with me in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. I hope we can look forward to more adventures with Max.
Learn more about Sally Gould and her books:
ON HER WEBSITE,
ON GOODREADS,
ON FACEBOOK.
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