Three's a Crowd!

Galaxy Zack #5

by Ray O'Ryan

Zack finds out that two best friends are better than one in this chapter book adventure.Zack is thrilled when he finds out that his best friend on Earth, Bert Jones, is going to visit him on Nebulon. Zack can’t wait to show Bert around the new planet, as well as his new school. But when Bert meets Drake, Zack’s best friend on Nebulon, some jealousy starts to brew. Drake feels left out when Zack and Bert tell stories from Earth and share inside jokes. And he feels even more left out when the three boys go to an amusement park on the planet Cisnos and Zack and Bert go on all the rides...without Drake. When Zack finally realizes how out-of-place Drake feels, he, Drake, and Bert decide to all have fun together. Because, of course, two best friends are even better than one!



With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Galaxy Zack chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

Genres: Science Fiction, Aliens, Fiction, Childrens, Space, Friendship

121 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like this book because I don't really like space anymore. I enjoyed this book because I liked the part when Zack's best friend, Bert Jones, came to Nebulon.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Zack's best friend from Earth, Bert, comes to visit, his new friend, Drake, feels left out. Can Zack be a good friend to both Bert and Drake, or is Drake just 2nd best?

A threesome is a tough thing to balance, especially when someone is in town visiting. Zack may be in a scifi world and on a fictional planet, but the issues he faces are very real and hopefully Earth readers will learn from his mistakes. I like that Zack is willing to listen to his Dad and take his advice. It helps prevent things from escalating too far before they get corrected. And it is a great role model for kids to know that parents can have wise, solid advice! I really love this series and the way it portrays real kid issues in a fun and imaginative setting. The illustrations are fantastic too, and the font is a nice large size so the book just zooms by and is easy for young, developing eyes to devour. Highly recommended.

[Andrew J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zack's best friend Bert is coming for a visit from Earth. At first, I thought this was going to be a good reverse of the first four where Zack doesn't planet hop AGAIN, but it happens for the 5th time. Zack, Drake, and Bert planet hop to the planet Cisnos to go to a theme park. Drake feels left out and a bit hurt when Zack admits that Bert is his best friend and not him. I connected with Drake because I've experienced that, but there's a big difference between my situation and Drake's: mine didn't end with my best friend realizing that both me and their other friend could both be his best friend. Nope. Record scratch. Buzzer sound. I'll give this one 3 stars because it's a decent sequel. Hopefully one of the next ones will be a 5-star book in my opinion like the first two

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of a let down after the last book. This explores jealously and sadness. I wish there was one less chapter of Drake being left out and one more chapter of the three boys all getting along.

[Zazie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good one. I bought a few of these books for my oldest nephew and he is loving the series. I'm positive he will enjoy this one as well.

Your kids will enjoy the whole series if they're into space.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

My little 6 year old adventurer loves it when we read these books together!

[WriteTheVision · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my students, and they absolutely loved it. Many of them are now checking books from this series out (and they're passing the AR quizzes, too!). Transitional readers like Galaxy Zack have been a godsend for many of my students who don't particularly like reading and are wholly intimidated by full length novels. It's a great stepping stone to helping them overcome their fear of novels without pictures and those containing "too many words." I rarely hear complaints now a days in which the students state, "I can't read all of that! It's too long!" We have overcome! Yay!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a interesting book because it was a book about breaking friendship and putting it back together.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asher (7yo) read.