“How is THAT, umpire?” screamed Happy. “That’s gotta be out! Oh, come on, ump! Be reasonable. He was SOOOOO out! What are you doing to me, ump?”
“You haven’t even bowled the ball yet, Happy,” said umpire Freddy.
Maxx Rumble loves sport and he and his team mates have been training hard for the new cricket season. But Maxx’s team, the Stone Valley Saints are, well, saints compared to some of their opponents. It seems some people will stop at nothing to win a game of cricket.
In Rattled!, the captain of the Princely Pigdogs whinges constantly, then manages to completely rattle Maxx when it’s his turn to bat. In Sledged , the star of the Sproilt Bats, Thelma Thatcher uses all her skills to put people off. In fact, in each of the eight books of the series, the opposition team uses every tactic available to outwit Maxx’s Saints.
Each book is a quick read, self-contained and full of laughs. The comic illustrations by Terry Denton on every page add to the fun. Read alone or as a series, these are plenty of fun for sports-mad youngsters.
Sledged!, Rattled! , Cheated!, Bugged!, Hammered!, Whacked!, Spooked!, and Tricked! all by Michael Wagner, illustrated by Terry Denton
Black Dog Books, 2004 and 2005