Roller Coasters (Edge Books, Wild Rides Series)

Children's Literature

Gripping the bar in anticipation, people rise high into the air, nothing holding them back but their car. Then a sudden drop, and mouths fly open with screaming and laughter. This is the effect roller coasters have had on people throughout time. A. R. Schaefer provides an excellent introduction to the subject of roller coasters for young readers. He begins by providing the early history of roller coasters followed by how they are conceived and equipped. Simple language and numerous photographs provide the reader with a book that captures the imagination and excites the mind with the subject and science of roller coasters. Often within middle and high school libraries, the struggling reader is forgotten as far as reading material selection, leading them to read what might be an embarrassing or "baby" book. This series—while indicated for early readers—provides subjects that can allow older children with reading issues to become engaged. Included in the book are a glossary, an index and a further reading section. 2005, Capstone Press, Ages 6 to 10.
—John D. Orsborn