Demolition Derby

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6"Bamm! Crunch! Powww!" "Crunch! Crump! Scrunch!" Sounds of rip-roaring competition are re-created in the print descriptions of Demolition Derby and Monster Trucks. Large action photos surrounded by splashes of brilliant colors convey even more of the thrill drivers and fans feel at one of these motor events. In fact, experiences of drivers, car designers and builders, and competitor team members are the focus of these books. An index guides readers to general topics like "tires" and "women pullers," as well as vehicle and competitors' names. As is typical of such publications, there are no entries for the photographs, which dominate the format. Many photographs in Monster Trucks and Truck and Tractor Pullers exhibit blurred graininess not seen in George Sullivan's impressive, but now dated, Here Come the Monster Trucks (Cobblehill, 1989) or Rosemary Grimm's Truck and Tractor Pullers (Crestwood, 1988). The few women competing, such as Dusty Arfons and Donna Webb in pulling and Pam Vaters in the monster truck "Boogey Van," are given due mention and credit for their skills in Savage's treatments. Fans of the thundering raw power will find a generous helping of the flash and excitement they seek mirrored here. They'll also come away with a better understanding of the effort and preparation that go into the competitions they enjoy.Ann G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NY