Dear Max - Hardcover

Sally Grindley won the Federation of Children's Book Groups Award for Shhh! (Andersen) and the Smarties Prize for Can I Help, Dad? (Simon and Schuster) and was shortlisted for the Sheffield and Norfolk Libraries Book Award with Orchard picture books Little Elephant Thunderfoot and Polar Star respectively. Since then, Sally has gone on to write Feather Wars (Bloomsbury), her first novel for older children, to great acclaim. Sally lives in Gloucestershire. Tony Ross is one of the most highly regarded children's book illustrators in Britain with a huge fan base abroad as well. For Orchard he has illustrated several myths series, Balloon Lagoon and the One and Only books by Laurence Anholt. Tony lives in Wales.

Starred Review. Grade 2-4–A nine-year-old boy and his favorite author forge a bond in this heartwarming tale. Though they never meet in person, young Max and D.J. Lucas slowly reveal themselves through a year's worth of letters, postcards, and drawings. Over time, Lucas learns that Max is the smallest kid in his class and the target of a school bully; that he and his mother are on their own, since his father died several years before; and that he suffers from a serious medical issue. Despite all of this, Max uses his fantastic imagination to create stories in which the bad guys always get their just rewards. Max discovers that Lucas is more famous than he thought, making her correspondence even more special. She coaches him as he writes his story, thus illuminating the author's craft for readers by simply explaining topics such as character and plot development. Max helps Lucas write her new book by serving as a model for her main character. The author's voice comes through loud and clear. Clever line drawings, attributed to Max, appear throughout. Teachers looking for a good launch point for writers' workshops will appreciate this book. Children will enjoy the subtle way the story unfolds and the unique relationship it portrays.–Nicki Clausen-Grace, Carillon Elementary School, Oviedo, FL
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