Max and Monty: The Raven Thief by Sally Doherty

Band 17/Diamond (Collins Big Cat)

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

My Review:

Max and Monty: The Raven Thief is a fun mystery for older readers in the Collins Big Cat reading scheme. Max, his family and his completely charming three-legged dog Monty are heading to the beach for a fun day out. For Max, it’s extra special because his M.E. means he often struggles to get out of the house for school or every day journeys. He knows the day will be a challenge but he’s so looking forward to the sun, sand, sea and ICE CREAM! What he doesn’t expect is to be involved in stopping a burglary and solving a mystery that has been putting small shops out of business for months.

Max is not your usual main character. The inclusion of a young person coping with the symptoms of M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) – also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – helps readers to understand and empathise with another person’s reality. Details about the effect of M.E., the challenges Max faces and his relationships with others is clear and honest. Max needs a wheelchair sometimes, but not all the time. People stare because he (and Monty) look a little bit different. Max is embarassed because he needs more help from his parents than a child his age usually would. Alongside all of this, Max is just an ordinary kid. He wants to have fun, join in and make friends. As the hero of this story, he finds a way, within his abilities, to do all three.

I hope there will be many more adventures for Max and Monty! They are a fantastic pair!

Author Sally Doherty writes stories including characters with M.E. based on her own expereince with the illness. Her genuine, honest point of view is refreshing and so very important.

Sally’s Biography:

Sally Doherty lives in leafy Surrey with her husband and three-legged (but speedy) rescue dog. After studying French and German at university, she worked for a year in London before unexpectedly falling ill with M.E. Being stuck at home and often in bed for eighteen years, however, has lit a cauldron of stories bubbling inside her imagination.

TOBY AND THE SILVER BLOOD WITCHES is her debut book and is the first in a trilogy. It won the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2022 and the WriteBlend Book Award 2022. The sequel, TOBY AND THE WIZARDS OF WILDHAVEN is out now. The final book in the trilogy will be published in March 2025.