Hot Rods (Motor Mania)

Grade 3–5—These three well-illustrated automotive titles share nearly identical formats. Each book includes a "What Is…" section to define its topic, a brief history, the culture associated with the hobby, NASCAR or Formula One racing series, track diagrams or a description of building a hot rod, and a closing "gallery" featuring photos of the cars and their drivers. In addition, the books share other common features, such as a diagram of a four-stroke engine. In general, the volumes are readable, informative, and generally accurate. An occasional error does crop up, though; Braun refers to a Model B Ford as a Model A and fails, in photos, to distinguish between hot rods and simply old cars, while Doeden's track diagrams show the sports car rather than the stock car configurations of two road courses.