Monster Trucks on the Move

By: Kristin L. Nelson
Publisher: Lerner Classroom
Publication Date: August 2010
ISBN: 978-0761361206
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: August 2010

If you’ve ever seen a monster truck, or better yet been to a show and seen several of them in action, this one book is simply VROOM, VROOM...awesome! Michael Vaters’ Black Stallion monster truck on the cover of this book will give you an idea of what you’ll find inside the covers of this book. If you take a look at Holman’s monster truck, the Beast, you can easily point out the difference between a monster truck and other types of trucks. A monster truck like the Avenger will “fly through the air at monster truck shows” and they also can “crush cars.” Hey, is the Carolina Crusher sending that “mud and grass flying?” It sure looks like it!

The Swamp thing “looks ready to take a big bite” with the shark teeth painted on the front wheel well, over one of its monstrous tires. It looks plenty mean and ready to roll. In this book you’ll not only get to see a lot of fantastic monster trucks, but you’ll also learn a lot about them. You’ll be able to see some exceptionally large tires, you’ll learn why the tires have “thick tread,” you’ll learn what the frame does, you’ll get to see some very unusual bodies, you’ll get to see a monster truck engine, and you’ll get to see several trucks in action. Among them are the Sampson, the Snake Bite, the Bigfoot, the Eradicator, the Avenger, the Krimson Krusher, the WCW Stinger, the Virginia Giant, and a few more. You’ll see them in action doing everything from popping a wheelie and crushing cars, to flipping over on their backs.

This book is targeted toward the young fan who will more than likely spend a lot of time pouring over these pictures. There are numerous “hot” photographs of some of the best competitive monster trucks out on the circuits these days, most of which are action shots. In the back of the book there is a “Monster Truck Diagram” and a section of “Fun Facts” such as “Some monster trucks have see-through floors. The drivers can see the tires and the track underneath them.” Additionally there is an index, a glossary, and additional recommended book and website resources.

Quill says: If you have a youngster who is wild about monster trucks, you just might want to check out this action oriented monster truck book!