By Jules Faber
ISBN: 9781760783907
Imprint: Pan Australia
My 9 year old daughter was very excited when I received the Quest Diaries of Max Crack in the mail. I asked her to read it, and write a review. The book is all about Max Crack and his best friend, Frankie, and what they get up to – from new school to buried treasure and many other things. Max’s quests include the following:
1. Make a best friend.
2. Win a trophy.
3. Solve a mystery.
4. Explore the town.
5. Get his picture in the paper.
Does he do it all?

This book is recommended for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which my daughter loves.
My daughter wrote:
“I liked this book because it was really funny and exciting. I also liked how it was a journal book. I think that the one little thing that bothered me was that he didn’t put enough information in what he was writing. I wanted to hear more! But it was funny and exciting, and there was a lot to hear about. I would definitely recommend this book. There are so many things that happen, and I think other children will definitely enjoy this book!”
My daughter barely looked up when she was reading it – she loved it! Other reviews are very positive – the story is interesting, funny, engaging, zany. I would definitely recommend this book, based on our experience.
Thank you to PanMacmillan and Beauty and Lace for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
A selection of our members have been reading The Quest Diaries of Max Crack. You can find out what they thought in the comments section below. Read it? We would love to hear from you too!
Raechel is a Professor, mother of 5 and avid reader. She always has at least four books on the go at any one time – an audio book, a fiction e-book, a non-fiction e-book, and an ‘actual’ book. She is often criticized for this behaviour!
We also really enjoyed reading about Max Crack and his Quests! The kids thought this book was really funny and were eager to read more. Now that they have finished this book they, are going to donate it to the school library! Thank you to Beauty and Lace and PanMacmillan!
I read The Quest Diaries of Max Crack to my 4 and 5 year olds with a great response. They are just in the process of transitioning from children’s picture books to hearing longer stories, and this book has the great addition of illustrations throughout to keep their interest. There were lots of laughs and giggles and their interest and focus was maintained far longer than I anticipated.
I imagine this is also a fabulous book. For slightly older children that can read independently also.
Thank you for the opportunity to share and review this with my children.
Master 8 and I read The Quest Diaries of Max Crack by Jules Faber together. We were very keen as we knew Jules had illustrated the Weir Do series.
It is written and looks like a boys journal/notebook (imagine pictures drawn, arrows and notes etc) which appealed to Master 8. He found it funny especially the fart jokes but he also took away from it that families can be different – Frankie has a huge family while Max is an only child, friends can have different opinions but always say sorry after disagreements, moving house and starting a new school can be a challenge but it can also end up being an amazing adventure.
Max sets himself some quests:
1. Make a Best Friend;
2. Win a Trophy;
3. Solve a Mystery;
4. Explore the new town;
5. Get my picture in the paper.
The story takes the reader on the journey to meet these quests and after meeting Frankie he joins him.
My son and I chuckled many times throughout as we found it amusing and entertaining and I am sure it will be a huge success.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to take this quest!
Sir 9 really enjoyed this book, stating he thought it was pretty “right on!”
I heard him laugh so many times. He said it had funny jokes and many a boy can relate too haha! He has given it a 5/5 stars.
Thank you for the “right on” book Beauty & Lace & Pan Macmillan.
I read this with my 8 & 6 year old.. they enjoyed it, I love it when they have a belly laugh when reading! Thanks!
I read this with my 8 & 6 year old.. they enjoyed it, I love it when they have a belly laugh when reading! Thanks!
I read this to Master 4 and Master 6. They both enjoyed and giggled at the things Max got up to! It was entertaining and kept both the boys entertained for short bursts. The illustrations were great and we spent time looking and talking about them.
A great read for two little boys that was easy to pick up and put down on a nightly basis.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this to my boys.
“OMG too funny and silly” ,my daughter, Bianca, said about this book. She absolutely loved it. The giggles we could hear from her bedroom when reading before bed was an absolute delight to hear that she was enjoying what she was reading. There quite a familiarity of the illustrations in this book as she loves the Anh Do, WeirDo series of books to which this author and illustrate does the drawings for. She even said that some of the characters looked quite suspiciously similar to those in the WeirDo books.
This book is about the quest adventures of Max and his friend Frankie, Bianca’s favourite part was when they were on *spoiler* a steep road and they went down on it and they didn’t have brakes.
Such an awesomely written book Jules Faber. Now Bianca can’t wait to hear if there will be any more in the series
The sequel Crack Up is out now
My 11 year old son read this book and loved the crazy adventures that the characters, Max and Frankie went on and I could hear him laughing in his room. Now my 9 year old son wants to read it.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for giving my son, aged 7 at the time, the opportunity to read and review “The Quest Diaries of Max Crack”, by Jules Faber. He loved it and had this to say:
This book is awesome and very funny. The book is about a boy called Max Crack. Max completes quests in this book, for example, make a best friend, win a trophy and solve a mystery. Thank you for this book!