Planes

Children's Literature

Speed. Not the drug, but the old-fashioned fast kind that has been a goal, a dream and a thrill since time immemorial. The "Speed" series—written by a woman, by the way—offers all the statistics and accomplishments and gleaming colors of the fastest machines on earth, sky or sea—cars, boats, trains, military vehicles, planes and motorcycles. Each book includes a very short glossary, an index, a few additional books or web sites and dozens of high-gloss photos of these fast machines poised for action or thundering at full speed. As you might expect, most of the fastest planes belong to the military, including the X-15 (the only plane ever to reach Mach 6), the Super Lynx Helicopter that can fly up to 250 miles an hour and the F-117 Nighthawk that can evade enemy radar. The world's fastest combat jet, though, is none of the above—it is the Russian MiG-25. In this book, only the Concorde carries civilian passengers because it is the only passenger jet that flies faster than the speed of sound. The text is easy to read, full of quotable statistics and complemented by little boxes of "fast facts" about each plane. The entire series would be popular and well-thumbed in your classroom library. 2001, Blackbirch Press, $16.95. Ages 8 to 14. Reviewer: Karen Leggett