Why does everything seem to go wrong for eleven-year-old Max?

All he wants is to fit in at school, have a few good friends and not be made fun of by the ‘cool kids’. Even his budding friendship with Cleo, a new girl in his year six class, ends in disaster.

When his mum starts seeing a new boyfriend, Max’s life only gets worse. He doesn’t like Jeff, and Jeff certainly doesn’t like him. Jeff makes it plain Max is in the way, and to make matters worse his mum spends so much time with Jeff she doesn’t have much time for Max any more. His feelings of isolation lead him to befriend a group of older boys and join in some of their activities. But are they really friends?

Then Max meets some-one who takes a real interest in him. Could this be the turning point in his life?

Marjorie Stenning was born in London and brought up in Essex. She trained as a teacher and spent many years teaching primary school children in London and the Midlands. She has always enjoyed writing and wrote short stories from an early age. Her experience observing children in the classroom as they learn to navigate the world has inspired her work. The Trouble with Max is the first in a series of six books, each exploring the various life challenges that many children face. Marjorie now lives in a converted barn with her family and two cats, Luna and George, in Northamptonshire.

Customer Reviews

5.0

5 reviews

mrs s c rose

The Trouble With Max This book is very well written and touches on a theme that is very relevant today. It is suitable for upper primary or lower secondary readers and would be a great way of starting classroom or family conversations with kids about choice and consequences. Max’s experience will resonate with many children experiencing the trials and tribulations of being a teenager, navigating school life and struggling with peer pressure. I found this book very enjoyable as well as insightful. I especially liked the way Max’s interest in gardening represented his blossoming confidence and how the power of empathy and understanding can be transformative.
Elizabeth D.

My eleven year old daughter read this and loved it. She was keen to write her own review (as follows): "I really enjoyed reading The Trouble with Max, and I especially enjoyed the ending. Marjorie explains the concept of bullying really well and I liked the friendship that Max created with Mr Robinson. I would recommend this to people who like reading about school scenarios or people who feel they are being bullied themselves as I think it would reassure them that things can get better and that talking about it helps."
Amazon Customer

This is an excellent book for all generations. It illustrates the problems that youngsters can be unwittingly drawn into whilst growing up. Group discussions by all ages on aspects dealt within this book would help understand how children can be supported to navigate these new and unexpected experiences
Janette Rowland

A great read. This book although aimed at upper juniors ( 10-11year olds I believe ) as an adult I loved the main character Max and was really invested in him and his problems. Bought for my grandson age 10 who is part way through the book and really enjoying it. Would think this would be a great book for teachers to read aloud in class to stimulate discussion about bullying and other issues Max faces. Overall a fantastic first book.
Amazon

I brought this for my grandson aged 7. He marked it10out of 10