Road Trip with Max and His Mom

February 15, 2018
Third-grader Max, who is still adjusting to his parents' separation, is going on a road trip with his mom to a family reunion.Max gets along well with both of his parents and is coming to understand their new, separate lifestyles in this sequel to Weekends with Max and His Dad (2016). That tale focused primarily on how Max interacted with his father; this story is much more about his relationship with his pragmatic mom. In addition to getting ready for the road trip, Max is carefully navigating a school assignment to portray his favorite character in a biography--in his case, explorer Ernest Shackleton. Max incorporates aspects of Shackleton's adventures into his own, especially as he tours an amusement park with his newly encountered cousins and then decides not to ride the scary roller coaster. Even though he has come to accept his parents' new situation, it doesn't stop him from poignantly adding his father's name to a family tree at the reunion, a warmhearted affirmation of his love for his whole family. Serene in its presentation of this common childhood issue, the calm portrayal extends to the attractive (and frequent) preliminary illustrations. Max's family is white, but his teacher, Miss Maloof, is shown wearing a hijab.A winsome story for readers newly transitioned to chapter books. (Fiction. 6-9)

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March 1, 2018

Gr 2-4-Max is back in the second offering in this charming series. After a weekend with his dad (Weekends with Max and His Dad), Max brings his energetic spirit and loving concern for his divorced parents to an adventure with his mom. Divorce is not the main plot of this story; it's simply part of Max's family structure. Max's mom wants to take him on a road trip to a family reunion for the 100th birthday party of his Great-Great-Aunt Victory. And, best of all, it's at an amusement park! Max handles family concerns, like leaving his dad alone on one of their customary weekends, and regular old life concerns, like dealing with a school presentation and facing a gigantic roller coaster, in stride and with a good sense of humor. Max faces his fears, processes his feelings, and enjoys himself greatly. Perfectly pitched for independent readers, Urban's latest stars a boy who isn't perfect but is still a strong model for young people. VERDICT Highly recommended for chapter book collections; hand this series to readers seeking a realistic family story with lots of laughs.-John Scott, Friends School of Baltimore

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