Dear Max

Dear Max is a story made up of letters between Max and his favorite author D.J. Lucas. Max starts writing to D.J. after he reads one of her books and falls in love with it. When D.J. answers his letter, Max writes back to her, and soon a friendly pen-pal relationship forms. Max writes to D.J. about the troubles he's having in school, issues with his doctor, and ideas for a story he's writing, while D.J. writes about her struggles with writing a new book and about other events that happen in her own life (like jumping out of a plane!). Max is always sure to add drawings to his letters that reflect what he writes about, which make reading them even more fun! This is a charming book that reads quickly. Max is a delightful character with whom the reader will identify because the troubles he faces are those that nearly all children face. D.J. is also a very nice character who gently offers Max advice and supports him as he writes his own story. The exchange continues in the second book Bravo, Max! Suggest these titles to children not quite old enough for the Wimpy Kid series.

This book is written in the form of letters, postcards and greeting cards! It is the correspondence of a little boy, named Max and his favorite author D.J. Lucas (Dorothy Jane Lucas, that is :)) and you get to see as the two come to have a bond and a relationship through the advice and the help they give to each other through their written words. All in all, its a nice book. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to read alone for a child if they can make out the words okay. If read aloud in a group, then I would reccomend pausing every 5-7 letters to make sure everyone is keeping up with what is happening.

Ages 6-9 will appreciate this funny correspondence between Max and his favorite author D.J. Lucas: it recounts a funny, evolving relationship between a world famous author and a little boy with a big imagination, and promises something different and enjoyable for elementary-grade readers.