'Max and the Midknights' (Crown Books for Young Readers) is an adventure story starring a scrappy youngster, Max, who gathers a ragtag crew of kids to battle an evil king. 'Big Nate' creator Lincoln Peirce brings his familiar irreverent style to a new type of story, and it works well, with Max narrating in a 'Wimpy Kid'-type format, throwing in snarky comments along the way. (Ages 8-12, $13.99)