I took part in the blog tour for this book in March and I was able to host a guest blog from author, Jeremy Williams, about Max counts to a million. He wrote the book in two weeks, found that Max had a voice and very much wanted to tell his story!
The link to this piece is here- https://myshelvesarefull.com/2022/03/18/max-counts-to-a-million-by-jeremy-williams-blog-tour/
Having read the book in one sitting. I wanted to share my review!
History was made in 2020 with the global pandemic of Covid 19. It took our world by storm and even 2 years later, it is still very much a part of our lives. However, in March 2020, schools, businesses and entertainment venues closed their doors and there was mass uncertainty over what was happening, how we would cope and what would happen next.
Max is an 8, nearly 9 year old at the time Covid 19 hit the UK and has to deal with the worry, anxiety, panic buying and illness around him. His family believe in the power of counting to calm down and dispel anger or strong emotion so counting is something Max does well.
When his dad, a local doctor, has to move out to protect the family, Max and his mum learn to adapt but find themselves getting annoyed, grumpy and short with each other. One day to annoy his mum, Max begins counting to a million and will only speak in numbers. This goes on for some time and a plan starts to form. This could be a lockdown or shutdown project for a max. School and parent, Max begins counting everything, from rice to bricks to blades of grass.
Over time, the number gets higher and attention is gained, first with neighbours and friends, then with the local news and before long, national media and charities get involved.
Soon a fundraising page is set up and the number of donations rolls past one million before Max does. Between his counting Max gets on with schoolwork, playing online with friends and worrying about family.
This heartwarming story is brilliant and ideal for those of us with children of a similar age who grew bored, uncertain and worried during lockdown. As we watched Captain Tom do his laps, this is the sort of story that would have been hugely popular as we all dug deep to raise money for our precious NHS.
What a class novel this would be…Epic and inspiring!
I feel I can belong to Team X as I have a Max at home!
My Shelves Are Full 