Martin Bridge Out of Orbit! and Goof-Off Goalie

Martin Bridge Out of Orbit! and Goof-Off Goalie are two solid pieces of realistic fiction for younger readers.

Martin Bridge Out of Orbit! is a part of the Martin Bridge series. The series is kinda like a Junie B. Jones for boys, an easy to read chapter book with a male character boys can identify with. The book contained two plot lines one about organizing a parade and the other about a visit from a comic book artist. Each of the stories ends with Martin learning valuable lesson of some sort. The message was always relevant without being overly preachy or heavy-handed, I liked it. For grades 1-4.

Goof-Off Goalie is a sports story for young readers. The main character Goose wants to play goalie more than anything else, but the coach says he needs to pay attention to the game if he's going to play goalie. "Focus Goose," his coach tells him over again. Over the course of the story Goose learns the value of hard work and persistence. Like Martin Bridge there was a moral, but not a heavy handed one, so I was okay w/ it. Recommend this one to young sports enthusiasts.
For grades 1-4.