Scooter and the Galactic Starship
By Douglas Robinson

     Scooter is a 10-year-old with a problem. The latest greatest video game is about to burst on the scene and he just has to have it. One big thing is stopping Scooter from achieving his goal--money. The game costs an astonishing amount of money and his allowance doesn’t cover the cost, further compounding the horror of horrors to all children. His mom and dad have decided at this critical moment to make Scooter accountable. His mother said that she would buy him nothing else until his birthday, so if there is any hope of getting this game on its first day of issue Scooter will have to buy it himself. Scooter and the Galactic Starship is a charming book that details the adventure Scooter goes on to get this game.

     Wonderfully written, Scooter comes to life throughout the book. We can all relate to that fateful day when our parents told us that we would have to save and get whatever we wanted right then for ourselves. As an adult reading this book, I wanted to say to the father, a compulsive spender, “Go ahead; he’s working so hard for it,” but I know that attitude wouldn’t teach Scooter anything. As an adult remembering back to childhood, I know that my mom was right; I would appreciate it more if I worked for it. This is an excellent book for teaching the value of money with a theme that children can relate to today.

     The characters are well-developed, easily understood and multi-dimensional. This is a refreshing read for children as well as adults. This is a story with down-to-earth morals and common sense. Mr. Robinson, the author, should continue writing children’s books, for his first entry deserves a follow-up. I would suggest continuing with Scooter as the main character in a theme series. Scooter will stick with me for a little while and I’d be interested in reading any of his further adventures.