Glenn Maxwell 2: Academy All-Stars

by Patrick Loughlin, Glenn Maxwell

A junior fiction series about an up-and-coming cricketer who is mentored by Australian cricket star Glenn Maxwell.Talented young batsman Will Albright has earned himself a place at the brand-new T20 Youth Academy. But, in order to prove himself worthy of playing for Victoria, he will first have to face everything the academy can throw at him – including more bone-rattling bouncers from his archenemy, Darren ‘Killer’ McKinnon. To make things even more challenging, Will must compete with his best mate, Shavil, for the highly sought-after opening batsman spot.Can Australian T20 all-rounder Glenn Maxwell help Will adjust his game and earn a spot on the state team without losing his friend or his head?

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2014

Reviews

[Tessa Wooldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Academy All-Stars picks up where Glenn Maxwell 1: Lucky Break (the first in a four-book series) left off. Will Albright is accepted into the Victorian T20 Cricket Academy but he faces failure on the pitch and self-doubt off it. The lightly fictionalised Glenn Maxwell continues to act as Will’s guide:

Sometimes you have to find out how to fit into the team, not how to make the team fit you.

Will switches his focus from batting to bowling and is soon selected for the Junior Boys Victorian T20 squad as a spinner.

Author Patrick Loughlin’s story is funny, fast-paced and action-packed. The book is crammed with cricketing terminology and includes characters from a range of ethnic backgrounds.

A detailed glossary of cricket terms closes the book, along with information on Glenn Maxwell’s career and his ‘Top T20 Tips’ for batting, switch-hitting and off-spin.

Academy All-Stars is likely to be devoured by cricket-mad readers, especially those who follow the T20 Big Bash League. The third and fourth titles in the series are Glenn Maxwell 3: State Showdown and Glenn Maxwell 4: World Domination.

My copy of this book was provided by Reading Time, the review journal of The Children’s Book Council of Australia. A version of my review appeared in Reading Time on 3 February 2016: https://readingtime.com.au/lucky-brea...

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT WAS SO GOOD, I LOVE THE BIG SHOW SO MUCH.
also zoe/will otp 5eva omg omg omg i know they're only 12 but eeeep