Martin Bridge: Ready for Takeoff!

I discovered this book at my local library. It is a shame it is not very well known. Martin is a young school age boy, pretty normal. What makes the book good is that it is very realistic, but contains those little magical moments of everyday life. Each chapter is a separate short story. In the first, a touch of warmth from a new bus driver seeps out and spreads, warming a cold relationship. The book is subtle, but simple. A great read-aloud.

This book was nominated for best children's book in 2007 for Pennsylvania school libraries. My son and I really enjoyed this book together. My son related to this book in a meaningful way. The writing style kept his attention and connected with his 8 year old boy mentality. The "lessons" sprinkled into the story where just enough and conveyed in such a way that my son understood their values and still thought the book was "cool". I really liked how the situations Martin found himself in were real and relevant to my son's life. The stories had my son thinking about how he would handle similar situations if it were him. The book also reinforces healthy imagination and nuances of friendship. We will be buying all the Martin Bridge books for my son for Christmas this year.