John Deere (Drive. Ride. Fly. Series)

This is a new series created for younger gearheads ages 10 and up. They incorporate a flashy style that's sure to keep a kid's attention.

Nothing runs like a Deere—and nothing sums up the might of the American farm machine like the bright green John Deere tractor. Young readers and machine enthusiasts will revel in this full-color, picture-filled, fact-packed book about the tractor that has worked America’s fields for more than a hundred years. Here’s the whole fascinating model-by-model story of the John Deere tractor from its beginnings in 1892 to its triumphant place on the farms of today. An inspiring portrait of the muscle of American machinery and an exciting close-up look at the big green workhorses that keep our farms rumbling, this book is the ultimate guide to the ultimate tractor.

Young readers will revel in this full-color, picture-filled, fact-packed book about the tractor that has worked America's fields for more than 100 years. Full color.

Sean Michael Fleming - VOYA

These two books are part of a series that looks at mechanized icons of the twentieth century and includes other titles on choppers and Harley-Davidson. The books are arranged differently; the John Deere title deals with its subject matter chronologically, whereas the Corvette book does so thematically. Each is chock full of large, glossy photos of the two-axle vehicles, and both have plenty of bold, flashy fonts designed to keep the reader stimulated by the subject matter. The inclusion of resources such as time lines vary by title, but both have indexes. Clearly designed with the teen male in mind, these books will be good resources for teen boys doing research on the vehicles examined. The text is informative and easy to read, although the facts and figures are not documented. Besides being educational, the books are interesting reads and should hold the attention of even the most reluctant male reader. The eye candy quotient is high here. Some discerning young readers, however, may find fault with the lack of captions for some of the pictures and also with multiple photos repeated. The 1963 Grand Sport Corvette may be an American gear head's dream car, but does the reader need to be subjected to three copies of the same picture? Overall the books from this series would be a worthwhile addition to a library's collection, especially if it is short in interesting nonfiction for young teen boys. (Drive. Ride. Fly). VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, Motorbooks International, 80p.; Glossary. Index. Photos. Chronology., Trade pb. Ages 11 to15.