Max and the Millions

By Ross Montgomery

A boy discovers a tiny kingdom, sparking chaos and a battle for survival.

4.8/7 Bookroo expert·4.2/5 Goodreads · 249 ratings

272 pages

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Bookroo's summary

Max stumbles upon a miniature desert kingdom in his friend's room, where his hearing aids let him communicate with its tiny inhabitants. As chaos ensues, young Luke, poised to be king, must navigate impending war. With allies Ivy and a flea steed, Luke faces monumental challenges. Meanwhile, Max and Sasha confront their school's sinister headmaster. Can they save both worlds from destruction?

"The world is filled of millions of miracles that no one sees."

— from the book

From the publisher

In the vein of The Borrowers and The Indian in the Cupboard, this is an imaginative, irresistible, and incredible exploration into what happens when one boy discovers a kingdom of tiny people.

The day before summer vacation, Max’s closest friend at boarding school disappears, leaving behind his amazing model collection and a handful of sand on his bedroom floor. Like Max, the eccentric janitor Mr. Darrow is a genius at building tiny models. Eight weeks later, Max finds that the sand has magically transformed into a whole desert kingdom–filled with millions of tiny people!

Max wears hearing aids, and they allow him to hear the ant-sized people. There’s a boy named Luke who’s about to become king. But when Max appears, he plunges their world into chaos. Luckily, Luke has two strong allies: Ivy, a fearless girl, and Luke’s trusty steed–a flea.

While Max and his new friend Sasha fight to protect the Floor from their evil headmaster, Luke must fight to save it from being destroyed by all-out war.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 620L

Themes & topics

Books about school Books about orphans Books about physical stature Books about size Books about imagination and play

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Language

This book has one instance of profanity (using the word he**). There is some name calling, such as "idiots" and "wiener."

Violence

The violence in this story includes a war and some violent language between the ant-sized beings. Mr. Pitt is in the new building when it falls due to it not being properly built.

What readers & critics say