#MaxBooth #StampSafari #blogtour #booksontour #day4
Max Booth Future Sleuth: Stamp Safari, Cameron Macintosh (author), Dave Atze (illus.), Big Sky Publishing, August 2018.
Blurb:
A tiny piece of paper from the year 2019 might not sound very interesting to most people. But Max and Oscar – Bluggsville’s sharpest sleuths – aren’t most people! Max has a hunch that this ancient patch of paper might be valuable, and extremely rare.
Max is right – this isn’t just any old piece of paper. It’s a strange, sticky thing called a postage stamp, and it’s more than 400 years old! It’s an exciting discovery, but before long, it leads Max and Oscar into some very sticky situations…
Review:
It’s always a thrill to follow the success of a chapter book series that you enjoyed from day dot. Having had read and reviewed Cameron Macintosh’s first title, Tape Escape back in 2017 (see it here), and the second title, Selfie Search, reviewed on our blog by Kellie Byrnes (here), it’s fun to re-join Max Booth and his robo-dog Oscar on yet another wild quest in the future. Importantly, with each title being independent of one another means no missing out on major plot twists should you read them out of order.
And this would be especially so for the junior and middle grade market seeking an easy-to-follow storyline with carefully selected language for readers of any stage in their literacy development. Whilst Macintosh has an English and Technology focus in mind, it is evident that the main premise for these books is an entertaining, humorous and action-packed science fiction adventure – these aspects have certainly been delivered!
In Stamp Safari, when Jessie sends Max and Oscar on a mission to discover the history behind the tiny piece of sticky paper found in the museum, they actually find themselves…in sticky situations! Here, the reader is invited to reflect on their own knowledge of the present day’s systems; in this case, our current postal and delivery system. As well, the audience have a chance to conjure this creative, alter-reality of the year 2424 in their minds as Max and Oscar provide just enough of a snippet into our possible future. Robots, flying vehicles and buildings in the sky are just a few of the futuristic advancements to delight your imaginations. And Dave Atze once again adds an energetic flair with his amusing, clever black and white illustrations that perfectly anchor to the text.
So what was the stamp used for in 2019, and who is the famous tennis player presented upon it? As the dynamic sleuthing duo set their detective skills into motion, they are confronted by an old nemesis – Squad Captain Selby- trying to imprison Max for theft and wipe their memories at the Home for Unclaimed Urchins. Quick thinking, problem solving, friendship and teamwork help Max and Oscar out of trouble, as well as solving the mystery of the 400 year-old stamp.
With underlying themes of the importance of education, social class prejudice and having a place to belong, Stamp Safari is nevertheless a light-hearted, creative, witty and entertaining story with plenty of scope for discussion and learning potential. Tech-heads, adventure- and detective-lovers and Sci-Fi fans will certainly give this book their stamp of approval.
Review by Romi Sharp.
Time to inspect something else rare and wonderful with a fascinating conversation between Cameron Macintosh and Megan Higginson! You’ll be pleasantly surprised! 🙂
C’mon Future Sleuthers! It’s a MASSIVE #BookGiveaway! 📼📱📮
Here’s your chance to WIN all THREE titles in the Max Booth Future Sleuth series by answering, ‘What technological device, equipment or advancement would you like to see in the future?’
Click the image for details.
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