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Barkham Street #3
The Explorer of Barkham Street
Reformed bully Martin Hastings fantasizes about heroic adventures as an explorer and a sports star, until his new circle of friends and growing self-confidence at home make real life as exciting as his daydreams.
179 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1985
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About the author
Mary Stolz
86 books34 followersMary Stolz was a noted author for children and adolescents whose novels earned critical praise for the seriousness with which they took the problems of young people. Two of her books ''Belling the Tiger'' (1961) and ''The Noonday Friends'' (1965), were named Newbery Honor books by the ALA but it was her novels for young adults that combined romance with realistic situations that won devotion from her fans. Young men often created more problems and did not always provide happy ever after endings. Her heroines had to cope with complex situations and learn how to take action whether it was working as nurses (The Organdy Cupcakes), living in a housing project (Ready or Not), or escaping from being a social misfit by working for the summer as a waitress (The Sea Gulls Woke Me).
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 12, 2017
Fortunately Stolz did not ruin the series that began twenty-five years earlier with A Dog on Barkham Street and continued in 1963 with The Bully of Barkham Street.
This picks up the story of Martin Hastings (Edward Frost, the main character of the original book, is only mentioned briefly) one year later - although, oddly, there are references that place the action in a time much later than the early 1960s of the first two books. Mentions of M*A*S*H on television and of kids with word processors tell us this must be the early 1980s. I kind of wish Stolz had found a way to write this book without those (basically irrelevant) details because they do jar a bit. Almost all of the story, though, deals with matters that aren't tied to a particular time period: babysitting, school, friends, sports, family.
In this book, Martin becomes more and more likeable, and we as readers are more sympathetic to his situation. In some ways, this feels like a first book for him - it's so different, but it's wonderful that Stolz was able to develop such depth of character through the two previous books. We get to see how thoughtful Martin is, and how he has matured - grown through his angry phase - although there are still challenges for him to face. His interactions with his parents, his sister, Edward, young Ryan, his friends (especially Otto), and others are realistically depicted and give readers a lot to think about.
I suppose Stolz could have continued writing about Martin (I suspect that this book resulted from two decades of readers asking what happened next), but I'm glad she didn't.
The pen-and-ink illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully are OK. I'm not the biggest fan of her work. I don't know if the choice was made to give the illustrations a more modern look than Leonard Shortall's traditional ones in the first two books, but I wouldn't be surprised. This book has a very current 1980s feel all around. They probably didn't think it was "dated" at the time, but thirty years on, things change.
This picks up the story of Martin Hastings (Edward Frost, the main character of the original book, is only mentioned briefly) one year later - although, oddly, there are references that place the action in a time much later than the early 1960s of the first two books. Mentions of M*A*S*H on television and of kids with word processors tell us this must be the early 1980s. I kind of wish Stolz had found a way to write this book without those (basically irrelevant) details because they do jar a bit. Almost all of the story, though, deals with matters that aren't tied to a particular time period: babysitting, school, friends, sports, family.
In this book, Martin becomes more and more likeable, and we as readers are more sympathetic to his situation. In some ways, this feels like a first book for him - it's so different, but it's wonderful that Stolz was able to develop such depth of character through the two previous books. We get to see how thoughtful Martin is, and how he has matured - grown through his angry phase - although there are still challenges for him to face. His interactions with his parents, his sister, Edward, young Ryan, his friends (especially Otto), and others are realistically depicted and give readers a lot to think about.
I suppose Stolz could have continued writing about Martin (I suspect that this book resulted from two decades of readers asking what happened next), but I'm glad she didn't.
The pen-and-ink illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully are OK. I'm not the biggest fan of her work. I don't know if the choice was made to give the illustrations a more modern look than Leonard Shortall's traditional ones in the first two books, but I wouldn't be surprised. This book has a very current 1980s feel all around. They probably didn't think it was "dated" at the time, but thirty years on, things change.
March 6, 2020
First sentence: Martin Hastings trudged home through the cold early dark laying plans for the future.
Premise/plot: This one sees Martin Hastings making friends and having adventures. Some adventures are in his imagination. He’s fascinated with reading about polar explorers. Other adventures happen in his neighborhood. Martin becomes a responsible babysitter. He is actually really good at it. The adventures are ordinary, but for Martin who has never had friends, never hung out with friends, they are extraordinary.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I absolutely loved seeing Martin as a babysitter. I loved him flaws and all as he continues to grow as a human being. He is on the way to becoming quite an extraordinary human being. Sensitive, self-aware, observant, thoughtful, kind.
Martin is a lovable boy.
Premise/plot: This one sees Martin Hastings making friends and having adventures. Some adventures are in his imagination. He’s fascinated with reading about polar explorers. Other adventures happen in his neighborhood. Martin becomes a responsible babysitter. He is actually really good at it. The adventures are ordinary, but for Martin who has never had friends, never hung out with friends, they are extraordinary.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I absolutely loved seeing Martin as a babysitter. I loved him flaws and all as he continues to grow as a human being. He is on the way to becoming quite an extraordinary human being. Sensitive, self-aware, observant, thoughtful, kind.
Martin is a lovable boy.
October 8, 2021
1. A Dog on Barkham Street
2. The Bully of Barkham Street
3. The Explorer of Barkham Street
I usually like Mary Stolz's work. Her first book in the Barkham Street series was a sympathetic story about a boy and his dream of a dog. The sequel was a painful look at the life of a bully and the unhappiness that caused him to bully, and the sequel was even better than the first book in the series.
In this third book, Stolz didn't seem to have a clear idea of what story she wanted to tell.
Have you ever watched a television series that had a character who learned the same lesson over and over again over the course of different episodes? Well, to some extent, that's what Stolz did with this third book in the series. The third book once again focuses on Martin, but it quickly becomes obvious that Martin has regressed in his attitudes, meaning he didn't really learn much in the previous book. In fact, he appears to have completely given up on a number of his old dreams, and he experiences so little character growth in this book, that even at the end of it, he has not caught back up to where he was at the end of the second book.
It might be a more realistic scenario, but it was depressing enough that I prefer to pretend the third book was never written.
I recommend the first book in the series. I highly recommend the second book. The third book should probably be avoided.
If it were a standalone book, it would be inferior to the other two books but still quite readable. The problem with the third book is that by having Martin regress so far, the third book dilutes the message and emotional impact of the second book.
2. The Bully of Barkham Street
3. The Explorer of Barkham Street
I usually like Mary Stolz's work. Her first book in the Barkham Street series was a sympathetic story about a boy and his dream of a dog. The sequel was a painful look at the life of a bully and the unhappiness that caused him to bully, and the sequel was even better than the first book in the series.
In this third book, Stolz didn't seem to have a clear idea of what story she wanted to tell.
Have you ever watched a television series that had a character who learned the same lesson over and over again over the course of different episodes? Well, to some extent, that's what Stolz did with this third book in the series. The third book once again focuses on Martin, but it quickly becomes obvious that Martin has regressed in his attitudes, meaning he didn't really learn much in the previous book. In fact, he appears to have completely given up on a number of his old dreams, and he experiences so little character growth in this book, that even at the end of it, he has not caught back up to where he was at the end of the second book.
It might be a more realistic scenario, but it was depressing enough that I prefer to pretend the third book was never written.
I recommend the first book in the series. I highly recommend the second book. The third book should probably be avoided.
If it were a standalone book, it would be inferior to the other two books but still quite readable. The problem with the third book is that by having Martin regress so far, the third book dilutes the message and emotional impact of the second book.
June 12, 2022
Thirteen year old reformed bully Martin Hasting, has dreams of becoming a hero of sorts, but his fantasies always seem to fall short. Martin struggles with the life around him, but as he hides in his fantasy world, he soon discovers that he's a part of the real world, and the biggest discovery that awaits him is himself. This coming of age story will resonate with its readers.
August 16, 2008
Mary Stolz is an author I wish I had discovered as a kid; a winner of two Newberry Honors (for Belling the Tiger and The Noonday Friends), Stolz published dozens of Young Adult and children's novels before her death in 2006. The Barkham Street trilogy is among her most familiar works, with The Explorer of Barkham Street revisiting the character of young Martin Hastings over two decades after introducing him in 1960's The Dog on Barkham Street and 1963's The Bully of Barkham Street. Martin is no longer the misunderstood bully he was in those earlier books, however. That doesn't mean he's happy, though -- he still doesn't have any real friends, longs for a happier family life, and greatly misses Rufus, the puppy he was only allowed to keep for three weeks because of his own irresponsibility. What he does have now is a dream - one of becoming a great explorer like Captain Cook and Admiral Byrd, leading a heroic life with Rufus back by his side.
A baby-sitting job doesn't sound very heroic, but it turns out to be the key to Martin's redemption. The boy who used to bully Edward Frost is now entrusted with his care. As he begins to develop a new confidence in himself, he begins to make friends and to discover things about himself that help him overcome new disappointments and respond positively to change. It makes for a great and inspirational story that most children can identify with and - more importantly - enjoy reading.
A baby-sitting job doesn't sound very heroic, but it turns out to be the key to Martin's redemption. The boy who used to bully Edward Frost is now entrusted with his care. As he begins to develop a new confidence in himself, he begins to make friends and to discover things about himself that help him overcome new disappointments and respond positively to change. It makes for a great and inspirational story that most children can identify with and - more importantly - enjoy reading.
June 22, 2011
I didn't appreciate these books as a kid when my perspective was a lot more black and white, but I really, really enjoyed it just now. One part that really hit home with me was when he wonders whether, having been an outsider, he will ever feel at home in a group. I still struggle with that one at 30. This and the previous two in the series are great.
August 15, 2015
I was not aware that Mary Stolz had written a third book in the Barkham Street series some twenty-five years after the first two. I enjoyed it, and I feel it makes a good addition to the original two books.
August 22, 2012
A young man maturing and making sense of his family members and himself.
June 7, 2014
It was OK. Nice boy who matures... He was a bully in another book: maybe I should have read that one first.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews