(Primary) Martin Bridge, the boy who loves the superhero Zip Rideout, is back and is beginning to grow up. He is learning to navigate the fine line between being a little boy and becoming a young man, and at times he does not like it one bit. In the first story, his friend Thomas, who used to love Zip Rideout, has taken to making sarcastic comments and mocking salutes when he gets on the school bus. His new babysitter, Darla, with her painted toenails, kissy television shows, and dance videos, makes Martin feel like the whole world is making fun of his little-boy interests -- but it is thanks to her that Martin takes his first (dance) steps into a more grown-up world. In the second story, Martin and his friend Stuart accidentally get locked inside a toy store after it closes. Gathering his courage, Martin faces his fear of mannequins (in one of the many perfectly suited charcoal and graphite illustrations, we see a much-younger Martin, lost in a crowded department store, pull the hand off a mannequin he has mistaken for his mother) and saves the day. Martin continues to be such a believable character that it's almost as if author Kerrin is channeling a real boy. Onwards and upwards, Martin Bridge! Copryight 2007 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 2-4-Martin Bridge returns in two more humorous adventures. In the first, he feels bad when an older boy teases him about liking cartoon superhero Zip Rideout. He must also adjust to a new babysitter, a junior-high student named Darla. Pleased to discover that she also likes Zip Rideout, he agrees to help her learn new dance steps from a demo they watch on the TV. When the other kids find out that he was actually dancing with "The Darla McGonagle," his status is elevated in the eyes of the bully. Next, when Martin and a friend are accidentally locked in a toy store after closing, he finally gets the idea to flash a Morse-code signal out the window for help, but must first face his fear of the mannequins on display nearby. Martin is a likable character who inadvertently gets himself into frustrating situations and uses his resiliency and resourcefulness to find practical solutions to his problems. Although he learns life lessons, the book remains light and funny. Kelly's charcoal sketches support the text and will help youngsters comprehend the story. Part of an engaging series that adds a much-needed boy protagonist to early chapter-book sections, this title will be popular with newly independent readers.-Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.