The Kaboom Kid: The big switch by David Warner

Simon & Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9781925030785
(Age 5-12) Highly recommended. Put simply, if you have a young boy who is an emerging reader and loves cricket (or actually just thinks cricket is OK) then this is a book that should definitely be on your list.
The Kaboom Kid is a book full of hilarious moments, realistic friendship issues for a child and tonnes of cricket. First the reader will meet Davey (Warner), the star of our story, the cricket team and Davey's dog Max, a ball catching and silly mid-on expert. The journey then begins at the start of the new school year when young Davey finds out that he and his group of friends have Mr Mudge as their Year 6 teacher. Mr Mudge despises cricket and goes out of his way to rid the school of cricket and anything cricket related. The teacher isn't Davey's only problem as the school bully Mo Clouter also hates cricket.
How are Davey and his team mates going to get the practice they need done with so much against them and detention punishments being handed out for the simplest indiscretions? The boys must come up with a plan fast if they are to beat their biggest rivals and keep their place on the cricket club ladder.
The Kaboom Kid reminds me of the Specky Magee series of Australian Rules books for kids although slightly more comical. A young reader will love Davey Warner's daily rollercoaster ride of antics that is written with an easy to read language, larger font and short chapters. A reader will need to be armed with a deep knowledge of cricket language or quickly investigate their meanings. Sayings like bowl it down leg, middle order crumble, tail wagging and square leg may bamboozle the uneducated cricket mind.
With the amount of students in Australia that play cricket aged from 5 to 12 this book is an absolute must for any library collection and young sporting stars book shelf.
Steve Whitehead