What do gamers and gearheads have in common? They both love to figure out how things work! Libraries looking to ignite the spark of curiosity in future engineers need to find just the right books to keep readers informed and engaged, spanning reading levels so they can continue to slake their thirst for knowledge as they grow. From evolving readers about helper vehicles and mighty machines to elementary-aged books about the science of speed, there is much to admire here for kids who love “things that go.” Readers who don’t just love video games, but want to reverse engineer their success, will pick up tips and ideas in books about their favorite games across various platforms. Let’s put the pedal to the metal!

Elementary

Dickmann, Nancy. City Buses. ISBN 9781977132321.
––––. Delivery Trucks. ISBN 9781977132338.
––––. Fire Trucks. ISBN 9781977132345.
––––. Garbage Trucks. ISBN 9781977132352.
––––. Snowplows. ISBN 9781977132376.
––––. Tow Trucks. ISBN 9781977132383.
Sipperley, Keli. Ambulances. ISBN 9781977132314.
––––. Police Cars. ISBN 9781977132369.
ea vol: 24p. (Wild About Wheels). Capstone/Pebble. Aug. 2021. Tr. $27.99.
Gr 1-3 –Readers eager to study up on vehicles they see around their community will enjoy this series. Filled with vibrant illustrations, each title describes a day in the life of a helper vehicle. While some (city buses) transport people, others (delivery trucks, snowplows, garbage trucks, and tow trucks) move things. Safety vehicles (fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars) round out the solid series with descriptions of their purpose, as well as views inside and outside of each. Prompts in the back encourage readers to try their hand at designing vehicles or the routes vehicles might take through a city. The best prompt, in Snowplows, encourages readers to experiment with how the blades on a snowplow work. Filled with pictures of these well-known vehicles, each volume offers readers an opportunity to get well acquainted with the transportation they admire. VERDICT Fine additions to your collection if you’re lacking in books about vehicles for this age group.

Earley, Christina. In an Emergency. ISBN 9781427159687.
––––. In the Sky. ISBN 9781427159694.
––––. On the Land. ISBN 9781427159700.
––––. On the Road. ISBN 9781427159717.
––––. On the Water. ISBN 9781427159724.
ea vol: 16p. (Things that Go). Crabtree/Roots. Jul. 2021. Tr. $22.60.
PreS-Gr 2 –These super-simple evolving readers use picture clues and high-frequency sight words to help readers understand the topic. In an Emergency describes all the helper vehicles kids might associate with emergency situations, like ambulances, tow trucks, and police cars. All four of the remaining titles help kiddos identify the different types of vehicles they might see in the sky, land, roadways, and waterways. The books include pictures that complement the text, offering decoding clues for evolving readers. What’s more, the photos include a welcome range of diverse people interacting with the various vehicles. Each book also offers school-to-home connections for teachers and caregivers to support independence and critical thinking in students. Their simplicity makes them ideal for kindergarten classroom book bins, but libraries of all stripes will find them useful ­independent literacy-building tools. VERDICT A fine selection for most libraries.

Harris, Busy. Ambulances. ISBN 9781645279044.
––––. Fire Trucks. ISBN 9781645279075.
––––. Firefighting Planes. ISBN 9781645279136.
––––. Helicopters. ISBN 9781645279105.
––––. Rescue Boats. ISBN 9781645279167.
––––. Snowplows. ISBN 9781645279198.
––––. Tow Trucks. ISBN 9781645279228.
ea vol: 24p. (Machines to the Rescue). Jump!/Bullfrog. Aug. 2021. Tr. $25.65.
PreS-Gr 1 –This series highlights big machines with important jobs. Readers get involved in the action, watching firefighters work in Fire Trucks and Firefighting Planes. While all the books are interesting and engaging, Tow Trucks is particularly cool as it runs through the whole process of getting the car loaded up when it can’t go on its own. The accompanying photos reflect what the text is explaining, allowing readers to interpret picture clues easily. Each book includes a diverse cast of people, adding to their appeal. Some readers may struggle with the big words, like “retardant,” “operators,” and “cockpit,” particularly if those words are unfamiliar to them, so caregivers and educators will want to keep that in mind before using these titles as independent reading materials. VERDICT A recommended first purchase, particularly if you need nonfiction books for evolving readers.

Jaske, Julia. Look, a Backhoe! ISBN 9781534188228.
––––. Look, a Bulldozer! ISBN 9781534188198.
––––. Look, a Crane! ISBN 9781534188181.
––––. Look, a Dump Truck! ISBN 9781534188167.
––––. Look, a Flatbed Truck! ISBN 9781534188211.
––––. Look, a Jackhammer! ISBN 9781534188235.
––––. Look, a Mixer! ISBN 9781534188204.
––––. Look, an Excavator! ISBN 9781534188174.
ea vol: 16p. (At the Construction Site!). Cherry Lake/Cherry Blossom. Aug. 2021. pap. $11.36.
PreS-Gr 1 –Looking for super simple books for evolving readers who are interested in big construction vehicles? This series fits the bill! Repetition of the longer, perhaps unfamiliar vehicle names is paired with sight words in short, succinct sentences. Brightly colored photos accompany each sentence and perfectly illustrate the text, allowing readers to use their picture clue skills to decode unfamiliar terms. The layout, photos above clear, large words on blank white pages, is simple and straightforward. Each book includes a word list of the non-sight words and a full word count in the back. The only possible negative is that these books do not have a hardcover edition, making them less durable additions to this typically high-circulation topic. VERDICT Though the layout is simple, the combination of images and text is perfection. A recommended purchase, especially in classrooms or libraries looking for book bin materials.

Klepeis, Alicia Z. Superfast Boats. ISBN 9781645279556.
––––. Superfast Cars. ISBN 9781645279587.
––––. Superfast Jets. ISBN 9781645279617.
––––. Superfast Motorcycles. ISBN 9781645279648.
––––. Superfast Rockets. ISBN 9781645279679.
––––. Superfast Trains. ISBN 9781645279709.
ea vol: 24p. (Speed Zone). Jump!/Pogo. Aug. 2021. Tr. $26.99.
Gr 1-3 –More than just a series about fast vehicles, this dynamic set describes the science behind what gives these speedy machines their powerful zip. Superfast Cars explains how engineers work to reduce drag on aerodynamic race cars, letting them maximize their potential. Superfast Jets and Superfast Rockets explain just how much thrust is needed to work against gravity and get these mighty machines into the air. Superfast Boats includes watercraft both large and small, from drag boats to luxury yachts. Experiments in the back of each book encourage readers to build their own model vehicles. With clear pictures and simple, understandable explanations of the science behind speed, this series is a winning crossover between the “things that go” vehicle genre and science. VERDICT A recommended first purchase.

McDonald, Amy. Garbage Trucks. ISBN 9781644874776.
––––. Helicopters. ISBN 9781644874769.
––––. Police Cars. ISBN 9781644874783.
––––. Race Cars. ISBN 9781644874790.
ea vol: 24p. (Machines with Power!). Bellwether/Blastoff! Beginners. Aug. 2021. Tr. $25.95.
K-Gr 2 –Each book in this bright, exciting series follows the same format: the author describes what the vehicle is, its various parts, its important job, and includes an infographic of fast facts. The simple, straightforward text is full of sight words, and the sentences are limited to less than ten words on each page. Picture clues help evolving readers decode unfamiliar terms. The labelled illustrations call out interesting items on many of the photos, particularly ones not pointed out in the sentences. Though the focus of the photos is obviously the vehicles, there are a few times where people are depicted, most of whom appear white in every book, except Police Cars, which does include several Black police officers. Considering the focus is on the machines and not the people who operate them, this is not as major of an oversight as it would be for career-type books, though librarians seeking diversity may want to look elsewhere. VERDICT Overall, a pretty good addition to collections servicing those beginning readers working on skill building.

Maurer, Tracy Nelson. Big Construction Machines. ISBN 9781427161000.
––––. Big Farm Machines. ISBN 9781427161017.
Smith, Sebastian. Big Tractors. ISBN 9781427161024.
Walker, Alan. Big Trucks Bring Goods! ISBN 9781427161031.
ea vol: 24p. (Big Machines). Crabtree/Seedlings. Jul. 2021. Tr. $23.00.
PreS-Gr 1 –The day-to-day jobs of big vehicles are described in simple terms in this series. Big Trucks Bring Goods! lists just a few materials that are transported inside over-the-road trucks. Big Tractors shares the tasks tractors perform on farms and includes a diagram of the parts of these huge machines. Big Farm Machines includes tractors, mowers, harvesters, and sprayers, plus lots of sound words to demonstrate how loud these huge beasts can be. Strangely, Big Construction Machines is at a higher text difficulty level than the other three books in this series, but aside from that inconsistency, the photos alone will make those readers who love big machines very happy indeed. Depending on the needs of individual collections, librarians may want to cherry-pick this series for the reading level they’re looking to support. VERDICT A good series to add if your big machine collection needs a breath of fresh air.

Upper Elementary to Middle School

Bolte, Mari. Animal Crossing. ISBN 9781684508334.
––––. Chess. ISBN 9781684508327.
––––. Madden NFL. ISBN 9781684508303.
––––. Super Mario. ISBN 9781684508310.
ea vol: 48p. (A Great Game!). Norwood House. Aug. 2021. Tr. $30.60.
Gr 3-5 –The history and play of four popular games is broken down in this thorough series. Readers new to Animal Crossing will learn that it’s actually been around for quite a while—20 years! That’s not the only game here with staying power—Super Mario is over 40 years old, Madden NFL was introduced in the mid-1980s, and chess has been around since at least 500 CE! Sidebars in each book call out important, unique trivia tidbits, like the famous “Madden Curse” that brings bad luck to the popular series’ cover athletes. Several appropriate mentions of the COVID-19 pandemic are strewn throughout each title, including the 2020 Graduate Together commencement (and concurrent explosion of popularity in the United States) on Animal Crossing and the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl being performed entirely virtual on Madden NFL 21. ­VERDICT A recommended purchase. Kids interested in learning more about their favorite games will find a lot to geek out about here.

Borgert-Spaniol, Megan. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. ISBN 9781532195839.
Rusick, Jessica. Animal Crossing. ISBN 9781532195785.
––––. PAC-MAN. ISBN 9781532195808.
––––. Sonic the Hedgehog. ISBN 9781532195815.
––––. Super Smash Bros. ISBN 9781532195822.
Thomas, Luna. The Legend of Zelda. ISBN 9781532195792.
ea vol: 32p. (Game On! Set 2). Abdo/Checkerboard Library. Aug. 2021. Tr. $28.50.
Gr 4-6 –In-depth histories of some of the most popular, influential video games of all time are laid out in this series. The oldest game of the pack is the arcade classic PAC-MAN, which was the first video game to allow players to control a character. The evolution of each game from its infancy to today wasn’t full of success. Some iterations of the games, like the 2009-2010 editions of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, were glitchy and unpopular, but all figured out ways to come back into the mainstream. The success of these franchises over time comes from their ability to adapt and bring fresh air to the series, like how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s open world exploration led to it becoming the best-selling Zelda game of all time. Time lines at the end of each book offer a quick visual history for each franchise. VERDICT Interesting and surprisingly thorough, these are all excellent additions to any library.

Gregory, Josh. Among Us: Beginner’s Guide. ISBN 9781534187795.
––––. Animal Crossing: Beginner’s Guide. ISBN 9781534187726.
––––. Animal Crossing: Characters. ISBN 9781534187740.
––––. Animal Crossing: Collecting Fish, Bugs, and Fossils. ISBN 9781534187771.
––––. Animal Crossing: Decorating and Customizing. ISBN 9781534187757.
––––. Animal Crossing: Gathering and Crafting. ISBN 9781534187764.
––––. Fall Guys: Beginner’s Guide. ISBN 9781534187788.
––––. The Making of Animal Crossing. ISBN 9781534187733.
ea vol: 32p. (Unofficial Guides). Cherry Lake. Aug. 2021. Tr. $29.93.
Gr 4-6 –Librarians who’ve been desperately seeking guides to the most popular games of 2020 and 2021 rejoice! Among Us, Animal Crossing, and Fall Guys finally get the “Unofficial Guides” treatment. Among Us: Beginner’s Guide includes helpful tips on how to play the game as a crewmate and bluff your way to victory as an imposter. Similarly, the beginner’s guides for Animal Crossing and Fall Guys also lay out gameplay for readers who are just starting out with each of the popular video games. The titles focusing on different aspects of Animal Crossing will give readers inside knowledge of the game’s many characters, flora, fauna, and customization options, while The Making of Animal Crossing describes the whole history of the development of the most popular video game of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adults will be happy to hear that several of the books include some simple internet safety guidance for playing online with strangers. VERDICT Nothing sus going on here—all of these titles are guaranteed to go flying off your shelves!