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Marvellous Max is now a star of newest book by popular children's writer
A youngster has been immortalised as a character in the latest book by one of the world's most popular childrens writers.
Max Ross, who has Down Syndrome, has had the star of Michael Morpurgo's The Kite's are Flying named after him.
The story is a moving tale of how a reporter called Max befriends a young Palestinian boy who cannot speak.
Mr Morpurgo is patron of Down Syndrome Education International, based in Southsea, which has supported five-year-old Max since he was just six months old to learn the skills needed to flourish at his chosen school, Horndean Infants.
Two years ago, he launched a challenge saying the person who offered the biggest donation to the charity would give his or her name to the main character in the new book.
Max's father Ken made the winning donation on behalf of his son.
Mr Ross, who did not wish to disclose the size of his gift, said: 'It's really wonderful.
'Max is an excellent reader thanks to the help and techniques they use at DownsEd and he is actually two years ahead in reading now.
'Michael Morpurgo is very supportive of everything they do there because he has a relative with Down Syndrome.
'They still help us now when we need it.
'It is wonderful to be able to keep this book for Max forever and all his friends will know it is named after him' added Mr Ross, 38, of Hinton Daubney, near Horndean.
It's not Max's first taste of fame. In 2006 he and his elder brothers, 11 year-old Jack and nine year-old Tom, filmed the movie Gallowalker with Wesley Snipes, in Namibia.
Mr Ross invested in the film and his children appear for about 30 seconds in the horror/western, which is due for release next year.
Max's mum Rachael is a trustee of DownsEd and helped set up a reading initiative called Up for Reading, which is backed by over thirty top children's authors and illustrators, including Quentin Blake and Michael Morpurgo.
It involves children getting sponsorship money for reading just a few minutes a day.
The money goes to DownsEd.
Max will often read for up to two hours a day and gets lost in books.
She said: 'Max's progress is all the more amazing when you think that only twenty or thirty years ago, it was widely believed that children with Down syndrome couldn't be educated. We have seen important advances in education for children with Down syndrome, but there is still a long way to go.'
For more information on DownsEd go to downsed.org or up-for-reading.org.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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