Fun Sci-Fi Read for Kids and Parents

Max Rigdon is forced by his mom to spend summer vacation with his reclusive grandfather. All of his dreams of being the starting pitcher for his little league’s all-star team are now shattered. And why all of a sudden quality time with crazy Grandpa Joe? Max only met him once at his father’s funeral, and Grandpa left a real bad impression.

Little does Max realize he’s about to experience the most exciting adventure of his life. He will also meet Grandpa’s neighbor, Cindy, a girl about his age who will soon become his best friend. Magical beings will pop into his life like Yelka, an elf from a distant star and a monstrous creature like Ell who communicates telepathically and has a heart of gold.

In the opening novel of the Max and the Gatekeeper series, James Todd Cochrane introduces 12-year-old Max who is still mourning the untimely and mysterious death of his dad. He learns to love Grandpa Joe, a grounded elderly gentleman with the difficult job of maintaining a portal to innumerable worlds in an effort to protect our world from evil.

When Max first arrives at his grandfather’s home, strangers in black stalk him. Then Grandpa Joe enlists him into cleaning up the yard where Cindy joins them. Soon he meets Larry, the neighborhood bully and his band of gangsters. Max eventually learns the town folk aren’t what they seem to be.

Throughout his novel, Cochrane provides his readers with an entertaining magical read from start to finish. Readers will soon discover Max and the Gatekeeper is a series fantasy lovers and sci-fi enthusiasts will enjoy reading.

About the Author

Born in Fremont, California, James Todd Cochrane works his day job as a computer programmer. His first novel, Max and the Gatekeeper was published in 2007. Three sequels have followed it—The Hourglass of Souls, The Descendent and the Demon’s Fork, and The Dark Society.