My soon to be entering the second grade daughter and I love to read. It’s fun to have that in common. This summer we’ve been making regular trips to our local library to find the next great vacation book. We are going to try to give a review from both our perspectives each week for our latest reading find. 
Our first pick is Traction Man is Here written by Mini Grey. My daughter asked the librarian for her best super hero books and this was highly recommended!
The Publisher’s Take: Whether he is saving toys (in latex space suit and Perspex helmet, teamed with Rocket Boots); searching the sink for the lost wreck of the sieve (in sub-aqua suit, fluorescent flippers and infra-red mask) or rescuing damsels in distress (in jungle pants, camouflage vest and a bandanna), Traction Man is never less than stylishly turned out and expertly accessorized. He is the last word in fashion flair-until, that is, the day that he is presented with an all-in-one knitted green romper suit and matching bonnet by his owner’s granny. Can Traction Man overcome the humiliation of his desperately dowdy new look and rediscover the action hero within or will the burden of the knitted green monstrosity be too great?
The 7 Year Old’s Take: Traction Man is Here is about how Traction Man became a superhero. First a boy gets a Traction Man toy and then goes to his grandma’s house for vacation. When Traction Man gets new homemade pajamas from Granny that he doesn’t like he needs to figure out how to use his new outfit to save even those that tease him about his outfit. This is a good book pick for kids who like superheroes and funny books. Boys, girls and even parents will like this book. Most six year olds can probably read it.
The Mom’s Take: I loved this book. My 7 year old read it to her 5 year old brother and he enjoyed it too. It’s written so well – funny for kids and grown ups without succumbing to simple language and potty or other obvious humor angles. The little details in both the text and illustrations were delightful – i.e. traction man zooming down in his jet-powered sneaker; diving in the foamy waters of the sink searching for the lost wreck of the sieve. “What’s a sieve, mom?” I like when a book captures my child’s interest and introduces them to new words. During the school year there was a pressure to find books that meet or exceed our graded reading level and it sort of burns everyone out. This shorter book lets us work on reading comprehension and talk about characters without feeling like we have to focus on reading chapter books all the time. Check out the author’s website to read Tractor Man’s journal online. Happy Reading!
* Photos courtesy of www.tractionman.net
