Max's parents are actors. They own a theatre company and their home is filled with posters, props and costumes. William Starling, his father, is a larger than life character. He loves to be the centre of attention. A mysterious letter arrives at their home with an invitation to sail on the Flower of Kashmir to India to set up a theatre for the Maharajah of Kashmir. Time is short. Arrangements are made. Max will meet his parents at the docks after his art lesson. When Max arrives expecting to board the ship his parents are gone, the ship itself does not exist and the only clue is a cryptic note from his father which tells Max to wait with his grandmother. This is all very very distressing. You can see the invitation and a jewel sent to his mother, Mary, here from the back cover:
Max's grandmother lives next door. She is a librarian so she has terrific information seeking skills but she doesn't have very much money. She is delighted to help Max and she expects him to stay in her house but she tells Max he will need to find a job because money is short. Max is only twelve years hold but he agrees to leave school and find employment. In return his grandmother will provide some lessons. The school will assume Max has gone away with his parents.
There are a series of coincidences which allow Max to make the much needed money. Each of these are part of a bigger puzzle. Max finds a lost toddler and returns him to his mother. This mother is in a cafe and there he meets a young pastry chef called Gabrielle. He tastes her delicious cakes and discovers she has a tragic past. His grandmother employs a young tutor to teach Max mathematics and Max invites this poor student, Ari, to live in his family home paying a small rent and providing maths lessons. Ari also has a sad story from his past. Max then finds he has a part to play as a detective or finder of lost things. A wealthy Baroness has lost a valuable silver spoon. In turn this spoon has an important connection with the story of Gabrielle and also Ari. Along the way Max meets Pia. She wants to be his friend and his assistant but Max is sure he wants to work alone. Needless to say he really needs Pia and her fearless determination to find the truth. It is Pia who gives Max his new job title - Solutioneer!
I somehow stumbled on this book perhaps on a book list? It was first published in 2013 but the Mister Max series are completely new to me. Cynthia Voigt is a very famous, a very skilled and a much loved author. In past posts I have talked about her Tillerman series. The Homecoming and Dicey's Song are the books that, in my early days of working in a school library, convinced me I wanted to read children's books for the rest of my life!
I have read blog posts from several reviewers who wonder about the audience for this book suggesting it might appeal more to adults than children but I disagree. If your young reader aged 10+ is a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events; Harry Potter; The Invention of Hugo Cabret; Withering by Sea (and sequels); or The Truth about Verity Sparks then I highly recommend Mister Max. While it is a longer book (367 pages) I read it very quickly because the plot keeps powering on.
If you click these review quotes you can read more plot details.
Voigt’s accomplished writing draws readers into every aspect of his world. A double-edged ending solves one big mystery while setting the stage for a new one. Publisher’s Weekly
I especially enjoyed delicious food in this story as made by Max's grandmother and the detailed character descriptions especially when Max used his parents costumes to make his disguises. Here are a couple of text examples describing characters:
Pia in disguise: "The female - youngish, prettyish, broad shouldered - was expensively dressed in striped purple silk with flounces at the hem and lace at the wrists, a short purple cloak tied at her neck, and purple leather gloves protecting her hands. Her hair was so blond it seemed white under her straw bonnet: her dark eyes were thickly lined with kohl, which made her look exotic and queenly ..."
Nance the workhouse girl: "She walked in a cloud of fear, her head down and her narrow shoulders gathered in, her arms folded across her chest ... Her straw-colored hair was in neat braids, she had a sharp little nose and chin, and she seemed ordinary, so why did she walk along the street in that cringing way."
Madame Olenka - "The woman wore an olive-green suit, with a row of silver buttons closing the jacket, and a small black hat that fitted close around her head and entirely covered her hair, giving her face a foxy pointy look. Long silver earrings hung down from her earlobes ... Her earlobes were much, much longer than normal."
You may recognise the illustration style by Iacopo Bruno used in Mister Max. I did appreciate the inclusion of a map showing the story locations in Old Town and New Town. In the hands of a skilled and enthusiastic teacher I think Mister Max: The book of lost things could be a terrific book to read aloud to a Grade 5 or 6 class.
Iacopo Bruno is the cover artist for The School of Good and Evil series and many other books.
Listen to an audio sample here from pages 14-16.
The Book of Lost Things is the first in a trilogy. Here are the second and third installments.
I would follow Mister Max: The Book of Lost things with The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow; The Doldrums; and Small Change for Stuart.
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