Ear Wax Max

Quarantined

By: Alisdair Baird

Narrated by: Andrew James Roberts

School’s out! But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the school year for Max and his best friend Sam. It just means that Filmore Middle School is closing because of the Covid-19 flu pandemic. Max will be quarantined at home for “an indefinite amount of time”. Instead of having fun outsmarting the school’s bully, he will be adapting to online classes, crazy family meetings, and using dad's hilarious downstairs toilet.

©2020 Philip Angus (P)2020 Philip Angus

Hilarious Fun!

A hilarious, realistic, and yet sobering tale of the impact school-age children are facing being quarantined during the middle of their school year, for who knows how long.  This tale is told from the viewpoint of Max, a.k.a. Ear Wax Max, and describes his confusion, his excitement, and his sense of loss.  Confined to home and having to learn on-line, we are given an insider view of what the parents and students are facing with this new life.  Vividly described in hilarious terms, we see the results of the confrontation between mom and little sister and witness first-hand our inability as parents to take on one more task.

The author, Alisdair Baird is a gifted storyteller who vividly and richly put to words what most parents forced into this situation feels and reacts.  Further, he describes how bewildering and lonely this situation is for Max and his friend, Sam.  The undercurrent of pain is there, subtle but still there – life as they know it is over, something new is happening and they don’t understand it.

Baird fully develops the characters in a realistic manner, provides authentic (and often heard at my home) conversations, and nice plot twists that are simple yet poignant.

The narrator, Andrew James Roberts gives an excellent performance.  He provides each character with a unique voice that helps to define who they are and does it in a smooth and flawless manner.  He speaks clearly and with a nice rhythm.

Several times I thought I would wet my pants, especially when I read about Max’s mom and his sister’s interaction in the kitchen … that could so be me!  This is a wonderful book that should be heard by everyone!

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook; it was well done.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.