Chapter Book 1/Martin Bridge Ready for Takeoff

Title	Martin Bridge Ready for Takeoff
Author	Jessica Scott Kerrin
Illustrator	Joseph Kelly
Publication Year	2005
Awards	None
Publisher	Kids Can Press Ltd.
ISBN	978-1-55337-688-0
Readability Score (GLE = Grade Level Equivalent)	Lexile	610L
	DRA	28
	GLE	3.4
	Guided Reading	M
Genre /      Sub-Genre	Chapter Book / General Fiction
Theme	Martin faces the challenges of a cranky bus driver, the thought of lying to his little neighbor Alice, and a fight with his best friend Alex.
Primary Character	Martin
Secondary Characters	Martin’s mom and dad, the bus driver, Jennie and Alex.
Classroom Use	I would use this book to read if my students had a Science project to do, if we were discussing animals, to discuss character, values, friends and friendship.
Book Summary	This book has three chapters and is about a little boy who faces different situations in life and how he finds a solution. The first chapter is about Martin and his bus driver. Martin does not like his bus driver. He thinks that she is grumpy. One day as he was getting on the bus he notices that there is a new driver. Martin and the substitute driver along with all of the other children get along great. He comes up with an idea to surprise the new driver by having all of the kids make flowers and put them on the bus. He was going to make a sign that says "best bus driver" and put on it. The next day all of the kids put the flowers and the sign on the bus only to find out that the old grumpy driver was back. After she seen what the children had done she became happy and got along with all of them. The second chapter is about Martin taking care a little girl’s hamster while her and her family are out of town. While they are gone the hamster dies and the little girl’s parents want to have it replaced with a look alike before they come home. Martin thinks that this is lying and wants to tell the little girl the truth. He plans on telling her until she comes home and he sees the look on her face and how happy she is to see her hamster. The third chapter is about Martin and his friend getting in an argument over painting flames on their rocket. One wants to out due the other and at the end both of the rockets blow to pieces and they rekindle their friendship talking about their rockets.