Review by Ted Witham
Illustration by Tash Macfarlane
Eleven-year-old Mitch feels a little out of place when his Fly In – Fly Out dad’s behaviour becomes erratic. Mitch makes friends with an ailing magpie, whom he names Maximus, and they heal each other.
This inventive novel deals with themes of self-esteem, family love and first love with tenderness and skill. It draws on Steve Heron’s long experience as a worker with children. Steve, the founder of the BUZ programs (Build-Up Zone) for primary-aged children, has written before, but this is his first full-length novel for children.
I enjoyed it.
Be-friending a magpie is obviously drawn from experience. The book contains a brilliant description of an inter-school football match.
Maximus means ‘the Greatest’ in Latin, and Steve shows the journey to greater self-esteem in a way that will appeal to middle and upper-primary readers.
Available from:
Online bookstores
Your local bookshop
Steveheron(dot)com
Serenitypress(dot)org