Patrick Loughlin, State Showdown & World Domination (Glenn Maxwell #3&4), Random House, 2 Nov 2015, 384pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780857988881
The large print and simple language heralds this as a book for the reluctant readers among those sporty boys, particularly if they are mad on cricket. Glenn Maxwell has given his name and his tips for a better game to two stories. In the first story he helps the fictional Will to overcome his fear of his own inability when he plays for his State, and in the second Will is playing in the Youth World Cup, and again Maxwell steps in to help the young player unite his team.
There is a timeline of Maxwell’s career, a glossary of terms, five pages of tips to improve the reader’s game at the back of the book, and a promise of two more stories to come.
The book is an honest attempt to keep the reader informed about how to play a good game. The stories are uncomplicated, clear about their intent, and exciting enough to maintain interest. The tips cover practical and psychological behaviour, and demand close study by those who dream that one day they may become wearers of the baggy-green.
Reviewed by Stella Lees