Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Reading Time
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Highly Recommended
      • CBCA Short Listed
      • Early Childhood Books
      • Younger Readers
      • Intermediate Readers
      • Older Readers
      • ANZAC books
      • Great Read Alouds
      • Information Books
      • LGBTQIA+
      • Picture Books
      • Professional Development
    • Interviews
    • Suggestions
    • News
    • Meet The Review Team
    • Contact Us
    Reading Time
    You are at:Home»Reviews»Mika & Max

    Mika & Max

    1
    By Admin on August 18, 2019 Reviews, Younger Readers

    Bloom, Laura, Mika & Max. Walker Books Australia, August 2019, 166pp,, RRP $16.99, (pbk), ISBN 9781760651145

    Mika is growing up, though it seems her mother does not quite see it just yet. When the book opens, Mika and her family are on holiday at a music festival and right away, there’s an unease about Mika any young reader on the cusp of change will recognise. Laura Bloom manages to convey Mika’s unease with her skin, or the rather the skin that no longer fits her because she’s figuring out who she is – is she the person to be pulled in a dozen different directions pleasing everyone else or just the one she wants to be pulled in?

    It is on her holiday that she gets to know Max, a young boy who has autism, and is non-verbal. But Bloom manages to convey Max’s presence and his personality through his interactions with Mika and his parents. And as Bloom herself has a son like Max, there’s a depth to his character that makes his interactions with his parents all the more poignant.

    As Mika struggles with her worries about her relationships back home, she finds herself drawn to Max, and she tries to understand what it means that he has autism. Together, they find themselves on an adventure when they should be at a music festival and Mika learns something new about what Max is capable of. And she learns what she wants for herself – growing up is as hard to do as it is for a parent to let go.

    Mika & Max is the story of an unusual friendship, and a coming of age story that will resonate with readers. Bloom handles these two characters with a deft touch, resulting in a captivating story.

    Reviewed by Verushka Byrow

    Related Posts

    It’s Up to Us

    The Bravest Word

    The Ghost Locket

    1 Comment

    1. Adelaide Dupont on August 21, 2019 9:20 am

      Verushka,

      this is as wonderful a review as MIKA AND MAX is.

      Adventures and music festivals.

      Reply

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • Themes
    • Curriculum
    Action adventure Airplanes Alphabet Anxiety autism Bullying CBCA Awards Coming of age Dystopian emotions family fantasy friendship grief Historical humour magic Mystery Post apocalyptic Readers Cup reluctant readers school Sci-Fi series of books siblings Sport Starting school Teacher Notes
    ANZAC Australian animals Australian history Biography Culture & Diversity Disabilities First Nations Geography health Humanities mental health Poetry Reconciliation resilience Science STEM Stolen Generation sustainability Wordless books



    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    Recent Posts
    • It’s Up to Us
    • The Bravest Word
    • The Ghost Locket
    • The Ghost Locket
    • Enough Love?
    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    © Copyright 2021 The Children’s Book Council of Australia - All rights reserved

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Posting....