Glenn Maxwell Lucky
Break by Patrick Loughlin
(Random House Australia)ISBN 978-0-85798-607-8
Reviewed by: Jaquelyn Muller
It’s time to slap on the zinc and get
a shine on the new ball as the covers come off for another big summer of
cricket. Random House has timed its new sports fiction series rather nicely with
the Cricket World Cup headed for Australia next year and a huge program of
tests, T20 matches and One Day Internationals starting. They have partnered with
one of Australia’s best T20 players Glenn Maxwell; to create a cricket fiction
series for boys (and cricket mad girls) aged between seven and twelve!
The books are
written by high school English teacher and writer, Patrick Loughlin who also
authored the Billy Slater Rugby League series of books. In the first book of the
series Lucky Break, Loughlin propels readers straight into the thick of
the action by introducing the central character, Will Albright as he faces a
tense second innings captain’s knock in an inter-club cricket grand final. If
you have no idea what that means then you probably won’t understand the rest of
the book but it is why the target audience will love this series. There is more
cricket terminology and iconography than you can poke a stump at and for any
cricket loving tween it’s what will keep the pages turning.
We travel along
with Will as he rides waves of self-doubt, navigates tricky relationships and is
pushed to his limits in his quest to be picked for the Victorian T20 Youth
Academy. Will must drive his abilities to the edge to get noticed by the
selecting coaches including his hero, Glenn Maxwell. In parallel to the story
there are opportunities to enjoy the sports action with a commentary similar to
that of a cricket telecast. The story moves quickly and the tone emits a school
yard vernacular which gives plenty of opportunity for laughs along the way.
For any sports
loving younger reader there is much for them to identify with in the scenarios
presented from the overnight cricket camp setting to team rivalries, and Glenn
Maxwell’s cricket tips and glossary at the end of the book make this informative
as well as entertaining.
The second book in
the series, Academy All-Stars is being released simultaneously on
December 1st and will no doubt be a welcome distraction during any rain affected
play delays over the summer.
Jaquelyn
Muller is an author and publisher of children’s picture
books. Jaquelyn is an author champion for the Let’s Read early childhood
literacy program. She conducts literacy and publishing workshops for children
from kinder to upper primary. Jaquelyn was opening bat for her girls’ high
school cricket team and is now bringing up two cricket mad daughters of her own.
jmullerbooks.com
No comments:
Post a Comment
Buzz Words Books would love to hear what you think.