Martin Bridge is at it again! This time he's an alien lobster and has a pogo stick disaster.
Written for children ages 7 to 10 (grades 2 to 5), Out of Orbit by Jessica Scott Kerrin (Kids Can Press, ISBN-10: 1-55453-148-6) is the fifth book in the Martin Bridge series. This time around, eight-year-old Martin Bridge is dressing up for a school parade and playing a dangerous game on his pogo stick.
Crosswalk
Cars zoom past the school and the teachers are upset. They need to do something to get drivers to become aware of the school zone, but what can they do that will bring people’s attention to the problem? Mrs. Keenan, Martin’s homeroom teacher, has an idea: a school parade!
All the children will be dressing up for the parade. Mrs. Keenan asks Martin if he will wear his lobster costume from the school play last year. Martin is absolutely excited. This parade is going to be the coolest thing ever!
Just when Martin thinks the day is going perfectly, Harper comes along. Harper likes to exaggerate and tell stories, such as the time he told everyone that his bike has jet packs and his dad is really a spy. So when Harper promises Martin and his classmates that his costume will be “out of this world,” Martin is not only doubtful about the claim, he is also jealous that Harper is hogging up all their classmates attention.
Martin cannot be outdone by Harper’s costume. He asks his mother to sew him a new costume: a Zip Rideout costume. Martin’s mother agrees to make the new costume and works through the weekend, creating the perfect, silvery Zip Rideout costume. Martin is excited.
On the day of the parade, Martin is wearing his new Zip Rideout costume and carrying his old lobster costume to school in case one of the other kids need a costume to wear. When Martin gets to the top of the school steps, he turns around and sees Harper stepping out of Harper’s dad’s van. Martin’s jaw drops. He can’t believe it! Harper is wearing same costume as Martin!
What will Martin do about his costume? Will he and Harper ever become friends? Life is challenging for 8-year-old boys, but Martin will do the right thing.
Spyder
In the second half of Out of Orbit, Martin and his two best friends are play-acting an episode of Zip Rideout in the treehouse. When it comes time to act out the moonwalk, Martin’s friend, Alex, comes up with a dangerous idea: a pogo stick in the treehouse. Alex is the first to test out the idea, and he hops around on the pogo stick, narrowly avoiding the window. Then Martin takes a turn. He carefully avoids the window but doesn’t pay attention to the floor. Suddenly, someone opens the trapdoor and Martin and the pogo stick fall down, out of the tree, and crash into the ground. The next thing Martin remembers is being taken to the hospital. His ear is bleeding and his head aches.
When Martin is back home, lying on the sofa, he realizes that his favorite superhero, Zip Rideout, never gets hurt in any of the comic book adventures. Martin feels betrayed. Zip’s adventures are not like real life.
Fun Reading and Lessons to Be Learned
Parents and teachers will love the Martin Bridge series as much as the boys who read the books. There are lessons to be learned in each story and obstacles that are honestly overcome. Filled with great illustrations and large type, Out of Orbit is perfect for boys who are fairly new to chapter books.
