'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Tuesday 12 July 2016

Review: The Misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locker Hero

Max Crumbly is having a bad day. It started when he overslept, which meant he missed the bus, which meant he had to walk to school, which meant he arrived late, and received a late slip from the school secretary.

It got worse when he was shut in his locker by the school bully, Thug Thorsten. Then it improved slightly when he was released from the locker by Erin Madison, the coolest, most beautiful girl in the school — and she was actually nice to him.

But then it reached rock bottom when he was slammed back into his locker (by Thug), at the start of the long weekend, with no one left in the school to let him out.

Adding to Max's problems are that he is prone to asthma when stressed (the reason he was homeschooled for eight years by his grandmother, a former kindergarten teacher), and instead of the more normal 'fight or flight' response, he has a 'pee right now' response when startled.

This is the first book in a new series by the bestselling author of The Dork Diaries. Designed to look as if it's actually handwritten pages from Max's journal, and with lots of illustrations scattered throughout, this is an easy, very funny, and thoroughly entertaining read that middle-graders and younger advanced readers will love. Max might have issues but he's got a lot of spirit. He dreams of being a superhero, but he's actually a lot closer to achieving hero status than he might think.

The ending is an absolute cliffhanger so I hope the next book in the series is coming soon!

Title: The Misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locker Hero
Author/Illustrator: Rachel RenĂ©e Russell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, $16.99
Publication Date: June 2016
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781471144615
For ages: 9+
Type: Middle Fiction