The series also includes beautiful black-and-white illustrations throughout by the fantastic Begona Fernandez Corbalan and a dyslexic-friendly layout make this perfect for every child. It is a good tale of friendship, family loyalty and overcoming bullies with a decent moral message about controlling how you use your abilities and not turning into a bully yourself. I think that Stephen Mulhern has done an incredible job of writing in his story with bulling scenes. Writing this book was his way of finding his confidence and it's his hope that this book will make kids laugh and help them feel braver and that no matter what your circumstances - anything is possible!

It is a wonderful tale that they have created and I am sure there will be more in this series to come. And things were going well until the unfortunate incident involving Bottley the Bully, a boomerang, the Crayfish twins and some rather pungent spices.This book was a quick read and would be so engaging for its target audience, there was everything a child will love within the pages and I feel like it would draw in even the most reluctant readers! This is the first children’s book by Stephen Mulhern and overall was a quick easy read with lots of illustrations. I am so excited to read more books like this and am hoping that this goes on to becoming a series as i'd love to see more of Max! Ross Welford introduces Time Travelling with a Tortoise, the sequel to Time Travelling with a Hamster, and a whole new time travel adventure!

The characters were loveable other than the obvious selection and they were written so well that readers will also dislike them and root for Max and his friends throughout the book. With a threat to destroy their toy stall its a race against time for Max and his friends to pay back the money they owe for the suit. A zany, fast pace tale that is sure to grab kids attention and also subtly deals with issues like bullying and being different and embracing it.There are very few throughout the book which is a shame as magic could be so much fun to play around with and add some extra excitement to the story however most of the illustrations were just characters not doing anything, just standing there either holding something or looking at someone. A chase through the market ensues and he falls foul of the Crayfish twins and their suit gets ruined. Tom Easton (Author) Tom Easton is the author of over forty books, including books on vampires, pirates, teen girl boxers and teen boy knitters. Then a run-in with Bottley at his parents' market stall gets Max into even bigger trouble - now the notorious East End gangsters the Crayfish Twins are after him!

However, I imagine that most eleven/ twelve-year-olds would probably find its simplicity rather boring, especially if they are confident readers. Max's character was fun to learn about, and seeing him carry on the family tradition of being a magician. In her free time she likes to observe how the light changes at different times of the day, something that she tries to reflect in her work. With engaging black and white illustrations as well as a dyslexia friendly layout this book is perfect for every child to enjoy! I thought it was also a nice touch that instructions on how to perform certain magic tricks are included at the end of the book.I also read it as though it was a mini Stephen Mulhern narrating, even the illustrations looked like a young Stephen! Max finds a chest with a top hat like magicians wear, when Max, puts the hat on, he instantly has magic powers. Young Max's unquashable optimism, sense of humour, loyalty and sheer good nature make him an unforgettable character together with his staunch friends and a quirky family (all the way from wise Gran to Lucky the dog). Now his dad is having to pay a large sum of money to the twins, or he will lose his stall, and Max feels like it's all his fault. Max Muller an ordinary boy living an ordinary life, in an ordinary world, who loves magic, with a dream to be a magician, Max The Magnificent!