Inside a Drag Racer

Gr 4–8—Attractive, competent offerings on a fun and appealing subject. Four chapters and colorful photographs cover history, design and mechanical features, operation and safety, and many aspects of racing, regulations, and organizations. Readers are also encouraged to seek out events for viewing. Though there's some diversity here (a drag racer and a stock car driver are female, while girls, women, and people of color are shown using the jet skis), mostly this all appears to be a white men's racing world. High-Speed Train stands out, as the vehicles here differ from the cars and watercraft, because the trains are valued for economy and efficiency, rather than racing and competition. European and Asian trains are shown to be far sleeker and speedier than the dowdy American Acela. Principles of engineering are introduced, but libraries will likely put most of these titles in sports, not science, collections. With an emphasis on the thrill and excitement of speed, these selections will easily attract readers.