Max and the Millions

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Alongside the adventure, and with a light hand, Montgomery successfully touches on challenges such as coping with buzzing hearing aids, lazy assumptions about deafness, and people’s inept attempts to communicate better by shouting.

And on and on the story goes. Max is helped by his roommate Sasha, who didn't go home for summer break, but is still at school running a summer camp for fifty 5-year-old girls. The girls, fueled by candy, also help Max and Sasha in their attempts to outwit the schoolmaster. Much of the story, though, is about the tiny people and their inability to get along. There is lots of violence and threats of violence, although it doesn't seem like anyone actually gets genuinely hurt. There is also the developing friendship between Max and Sasha, as well as Max's attempts to get him to understand the difficulties he has communicating with others. All and all, it is quite an adventure, and I would only recommend it to children who like adventure stories. In addition, those who like witty type humor certainly may appreciate many of the author's attempts to get laughs. Max is used to spending time alone – it’s difficult to make friends in a big, chaotic school when you’re deaf. He prefers to give his attention to the little things in life . . . like making awesome, detailed replica models. Then Mr Darrow, the school caretaker and fellow modeller, goes missing. Max must follow his parting instruction: ‘Go to my room. You’ll know what to do.’ There on the floor he finds a pile of sand . . . and in the sand is Mr Darrow’s latest creation. A tiny boy, no bigger than an ant. Luke, Prince of the Blues. And behind the tiny boy. . . millions of others – a thriving, bustling, sprawling civilization! A civilization that needs Max’s help . . . While Max and his newfound friend Sasha fight to protect the Floor from their evil headmaster, the people on the floor must fight to save it from being destroyed by all-out war. Together they have to learn to work together to save the tiny world in this hilarious, fast paced adventure. In Max and the Millions Ross Montgomery takes readers in to the tiny world of Floor that the Blues, Reds and Greens call home. They are at war for the control of Floor but little do they know there is something much bigger that could mean the end of their civilisation. Demon is coming and he is bringing his vacuum cleaner! There is one person who can save them and his name is Max. Although Max needs hearing aids to hear it is his ability to lip read that helps him to communicate with these microscopic people and help them when they need it the most. Totally off-the-wall story and is characteristic of the vivid imagination that we've come to associate with Ross Montgomery. The world building is superb., The Bookbag Additionally, the developing friendship between Max and Sasha, will show pupils that everyone has others will understand their specific nature- in this case, Max’s trouble communicating- and you can overcome difference to make great friendships and help each other. This friendship is a reminder for readers that you shouldn’t make assumptions about people before you really get to know them.

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Additionally, the creative writing ideas this book could spur would be highly inclusive- for example, those pupils excited by the violent threats and tabulations between the three camps could take this element of the story further and story map/ write an alternative section focusing on these miniature groups. The more sensitive of pupils in the class could take on Max’s story for friendship and his difficulties communicating, perhaps how Sasha and his friendship develops in the next academic term. There on the floor he finds a pile of sand . . . and in the sand is Mr Darrow’s latest creation . . . a tiny boy, no bigger than a raisin, Luke, Prince of the Blues. And behind the tiny boy . . . millions of others – a thriving, bustling, sprawling civilization! Seeing how the ‘floor people’ inhabit the room and survive in it is highly creative, from the models and bins being used as homes and flies being used as war machines. The mythology that is developed in this world, such as the book of the floor, to the janitors clothes being seen like holy temple is also very engaging and adds depth to this world. He does a friend in his American roommate, Sasha, who tries to use ASL with him before realizing they ought to be using BSL, an entirely different language. But Max doesn't know any signed language at all, which realistic for mainstreamed children. A delightful whiff of Monty Python . . . Ross Montgomery's writing is often pure Douglas Adams.' SFX

Then Mr Darrow, the school caretaker and fellow modeller, goes missing. Max must follow his parting instruction: ‘Go to my room. You’ll know what to do.’

At time this books violent language startled me; it’s been a while since I’ve read the line ‘how many blood sacrifices would you like?’. But it never becomes distasteful. I had to remind myself that I am a very different reader from an eight year old. It is always handled with a pinch of humour. It may feel like too much for an overprotective adult reader, but not for a child. Marvellously funny and original . . . it's the tiny details that make the story work.' Financial Times He is singled out by Mr. Pitt, who interacts with him patronizingly and shows him off to visitors like he's a circus attraction. Mr. Pitt raises his voice and overenunciates at Max, and does things like having a chair set up at the front of assembly with a sign in large red letters, "special seat." Every deaf child knows a well-meaning but clueless adult like Mr. Pitt.