Mighty Mitch: Howzat Heroes! by Mitchell Starc

Ill. by Phillip Bunting. Scholastic Australia, 2018. ISBN 9781742763217
(Age: Primary 6+) Mitchell Starc continues his cricketing side-project in the second volume of Mighty Mitch. Following the trend of sporting personalities publishing high interest novels, and joining fellow cricketing legend Elise Perry, Starc writes from the viewpoint of an under 10 beginner, recalling the days when his dad doubled as coach to the local cricket team.
Starc, now the world record holder for fastest delivery in test cricket (160.4 km/h), has come a long way from his days in the Wander Hill Wombats (quite possibly the names in the book are fictitious but the reader assumes there is a basis for fact here).
Starc and his team of misfits make headlines in the weekly TV show Howzat Heroes for being really really bad at fielding. They develop a sympathetic following from viewers, and during their quest to improve the team gets themselves in increasingly hilarious situations. For example, youngest fielder Oli gets a wicket by having the ball bouncing off his butt into the stumps, and another where a genuinely great catch is missed because other members of the team are looking for dog poo.
The book itself is quite funny. For a non cricket person I found it easy to read and shared parts of it with my class. As well, there is a glossary of cricketing terms at the back and a description of ways you can be run out, to help those just getting into cricket build their knowledge.
The content of the book is suitable for anyone 6+ but with a 8+ reading ability.
Clare Thompson