Check Mates is another fabulous story from the King of Storytelling Stewart Foster. It’s a heart-warming, funny tale of growing up and self-discovery. This is the story of Felix, whose struggle with his ADHD begins makes things difficult both at school and at home. When his grandmother dies and Felix begins spending time with his grandfather, he isn’t happy. He feels that he’s far too old to have a babysitter and he’s a bit embarrassed by his grandfather. The more trouble he gets into, the more exasperated he becomes, until his granddad hatches a plan to help.
At first, Felix thinks that his grandad is just using him to do his chores and isn’t pleased at all with the idea of learning to play chess; after all, only geeks play chess. However, the more time he spends doing his chores, the more he is able to concentrate. As a result, he gets into less trouble. Finally, he starts learning to play chess. Thus begins a journey of self-discovery and a realisation that Felix never saw coming.
Check Mates is masterfully written and brings the reader right into the story. I loved this book and can’t wait for the next offering from Stewart Foster.