Because of his physical handicap Martin struggles to gain acceptance from his classmates, and he finally proves to the whole community that he can even be a hero.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 3-5-A straightforward first-person account about a boy with muscular dystrophy whose dream of becoming an athletic director carries him through all of the difficult aspects of his life. The story, told as a reminiscence, runs quickly through various events as Martin changes from a boy who is always one of the first picked for the baseball team to a ``freak'' in a wheelchair, shunned by all but one of his classmates. There is little development of each scene so that several transitions meant to add suspense and anticipation create confusion instead. The key event of the tale, when Martin must physically pull himself across a cement road in order to reach a fire alarm to get help for some swimmers, rests on a far-fetched coincidence that the motor on his wheelchair has suddenly failed. Of course, the drowning young people are saved and Martin becomes a hero. He is then treated ``like a normal kid,'' and gains self-respect and confidence. The last two pages jump quickly from sixth grade to college and adulthood when Martin does indeed achieve his dream. The conversational narrative is heavy handed. The amateurish, sketchy black-and-white illustrations show sympathetic characters, but do little else to deepen the story. And yet Martin himself is a direct, likable person who could help children understand some concerns of the disabled.-Martha Topol, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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