Road Trip with Max and His Mom

**This review is based on an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) provided by the publisher.**

Road Trip with Max and His Mom by Linda Urban is a charming tale about third-grader, Max LeRoy. This is a follow up to Weekends with Max and His Dad where we were introduced to Max and his changing family. In this newest book, Max prepares to take a weekend road trip with his mom to a reunion held at an amusement park.

Leading up to the trip, Max flubs up in front of his classmates while practicing a presentation. Urban describes a touching exchange between Max and his mom when Max's mom helps him get over his embarrassment and anxiety. Max gets to repay the favor later in the book by helping his mom during a storm.

Max and his mom finally arrive at the reunion, and they meet all sorts of relatives. Max get the opportunity to explore the amusement park with his cousins and overcome his fears and ride the Big Buckaroo.

I think this book will be enjoyed by 2nd and 3rd graders. The text is accessible to students through the dialogue and vocabulary. Students will be able to related to Max's struggles at school. Linda Urban does a great job addressing he questions that arise in Max's mind regarding his family structure.