Adventure Racing Books

We've really enjoyed this book, and other Disney books by the same author (Emmons). Sometimes tie-in books can be poorly cut-together, but this book pulls in the feeling of the movie characters with active text that is fun to act out (and little kids love that!). Plus the illustrations here are fun without being still shots from the film.

My son is a huge "character" fan.
We LOVED the movie cars.
We really enjoy reading character books and this was not a disappointment. Well daddy was a bit diappointed it completely follows the movie, guess we wanted something "extra".
It is a good length for bedtime reading, and they packaged it into a decent story in the short book.

My almost 6yo loves to read this book to his 3yo sister, so its a fairly easy read (his reading level is at 7y0m). He loves to add animated voices to the words (ka-chow!).
This can be a disappointing book at first to the kids, however. It ends at the end of the first race in the movie--about 15 min. in. Its probably a nice taste of the film to a kid who hasn't seen it yet--I'd liken it more to a commercial than the meaty story. Also, parents wanting to get to the moral of the story won't get it here--that's what the rest of the story is about which is not included in this book. It definitely leaves a hanging issue--Lightning McQueen is not yet humbled by his experiences and still hasn't learned that arrogance alone doesn't work. I suppose though, that might lead the reader and family to get to the movie to clear that up--or to buy another book that takes the story to the finish line--and therefore open up a good family discussion.

You all know that in the movie, Lightning McQueen learns that life is not all about being first all the time, it's about "everyone coming together and doing the best they can," according to The King. Anyway, this special storybook, as told by Doc Hudson (isn't that cool?), tells the same story in his own words. I found it at Wal-Mart and now I have it in my own home since I have fallen in love with it, especially the black-and-white drawings of the cars. How unique is that? I sure hope parents' children learn something from this very special story of what it means to be a true winner. You know I would!

"My name's Doc Hudson. Folks round here say that every car has a story. I don't know if that's so, but I can tell you this: I've got one heck of a story for you! Oh, I know that you may not believe that one car could get itself in a world of trouble and turn a whole town on its ear. But I'm here to tell you how one car did!"

Lightning McQueen is a hotshot race car who only cares about winning. When he suddenly find himself in the sleepy old town of Radiator Springs, will he be able to accept life in the slow lane?

Faster Than Fast is 79-page chapter book told from the perspective of Doc Hudson, and features black and white sketches throughout.

My son found this book very engaging, asking my husband and I to read him a chapter a night. He enjoys looking at the pictures, too.

Personally, I think the colloquialisms of Doc Hudson takes away from the plot. Not only that, it's not exactly proper language for beginner readers so it could prove difficult for some youngsters to "get" what's going on in the story at times.

It's a shame this book was released before the movie, because now we all know what will happen before we hit the theaters.

For the price, though, you really can't beat this book based on the Disney/Pixar film Cars.

My daughter age 5 loves the Disney fairies and loves this book because she can read it. I like the book because it is a twist on the "Tortoise and the Hare".

The Great Fairy Race is a fantatic book for children just learning to read.
Our favourite Disney fairies are having a race, but the fairies are not allowed to use their wings or feet. They each choose something different to get them to the finish line. Beck rides a squirrel, Rani is riding Brother Dove, Silvermist surfs a wave and Tink races her own pots and pans car. Each fairy runs into trouble along the way though, so who wins the race?
The words in the story are not too long, yet not overly simplistic, and the print is large and easy to read. The beautiful Disney illustrations on each page will help those learning to read to understand what is happening in the story.
My 5-yr-old twin girls started school this year and while we love reading the Disney Fairy chapter books together, this level is perfect for them just starting out. Highly recommended!

The tiny hooves barely make a sound against the track. They are drowned out by bigger, bolder throughbred hooves. A tiny zebra comes up face to face with the leading thoroughbred. they race under the wire together. It's a photo finish, ladies and gentlemen! And the winner is...STRIPES, the oddball zebra from a little farm in Kentucky!

Channing's father wasn't thinking about winning races as he scooped up the little bundle. He lifted the zebra into his truck and drove home. channing ran out to find out what happened. And a legend was soon sucking greedily on a warm bottle of milk.

Stripes grew bigger every day. He hung out with a shetland pony and a white show jumping mare, as well as various other interesting creatures, such as Snoop Dogg, who doesn't have ,much of a role but everybody loves him anyways ;).

Stripes makes his way as an underdogg, err, underdog and gets to the top soon enough. he enters as the longshot, making his supporters rich!!!when he wins!

This heartwarming story is like a child-version of seabiscuit. Both books have a message: The shape and size will; never, ever count-it's the heart that matters most. ;)

Racing Stripes is a heartwarming story about a zebra that is rescued by a farmer and his daughter after the circus abandons him. The zebra finds his new home at the farm and thinks he is like all the other horses. The farmer's daughter, Channing and the barnyard animals become friends with Stripes. Stripes learns that he has a heart for racing and begins a competition with neighboring race horses. The neighboring thoroughbreds do not let him forget that he comes form the wrong side of the fence.....that he's different because of his stripes. The biggest horse race of the year, the Kentucky Derby, is fast approaching and Stripes along with the help of his friends begin to train. Together they face the race of their lives. Stripes' determination to be a winner brings life back to the farm and rekindles tragic memories of the past. Now it's up to Stripes to show the world that it's alright to be different. Will it be a photo finish for Stripes and Channing? I'll let you read the book to find the answer.

A who will do it, who will win it, adventure tale that informs, enthralls and engages the reader in one of the worlds last true natural challenges. I didn't want it to end!

Racing the White Silence: On the Trail of the Yukon Quest
Adam Killick

"Nature has many tricks wherewith she convinces man of his finity- the ceaseless flow of the tides, the fury of the storm, the shock of the earthquake, the long roll of heaven's artillery- but the most tremendous, the most stupefying of all, is the passive phase of the White Silence. All movement ceases, the sky clears, the heavens are as brass; the slightest whisper seems sacrilege, and man becomes timid, affrightened at the sound of his own voice."
Jack London, The White Silence, 1899

Jack London, like all good authors, wrote of what he knew, the North. It is in London's world that this book is based. Its' author, Adam Killick, from Winnipeg, hired on as an assistant-dog handler in the 2001 Yukon Quest so that he could study it and learn what drew the world's best mushers to it. After all, the Quest's prize money is much less than the famous Iditerod; what drew these mushers to this race?
Along the way he found his answer.

The Yukon Quest alternates directions from year to year depending on ice conditions on the trail. It traverses the unforgiving terrain between Whitehorse, Yukon, and Fairbanks, Alaska. "Following the Quest, on these remote parts of the trail, is like belonging to some exclusive club in which only lack of sleep...and a predilection for standing around at 30 or 40 below for hours...earns you membership." Along the way Killick discovered that the people on the trail were very supportive and helpful; that "the spirit of community and sharing is at the heart of the Yukon Quest." Besides, "the community of the North stands on a realization that, whatever one's creed, religion, ethics, or circumstances, there will come a time when you'll need someone else's help." It is this sense of community that draws the mushers to this race, the one dog-sled race that "has remained true to the Northern Spirit in which it was founded."

Killick follows the 2001 edition of the Quest as it continues down the trail. As he does so, he introduces the reader to the many varied characters that make up the contestants and organizers of this little-publicized race. This makes the book an interesting read that examines the many of the ins and outs of dog-sled racing. Killick helps the reader to visualize the country of the "White Silence" that his race passes through. Racing The White Silence is an excellent true-life book that will keep you turning pages until the end of the trail.

2002. Easy reading. Young-adult content. 270 pages.

I thought White Lightning was great, but the authors had to pack a lot into it to get to Jodell's first big race by the end of the book. With all that background out of the way, in Road to Daytona they can concentrate, for the most part, on the minute details of a single race. That level of detail really gives the reader the sense that they are there, watching the story unfold in front of them, instead of just reading words on a page.

This book particularly gave me insight into the tasks the pit crew has to do. Before, on the rare occasions that I would watch a race, I would think it wasn't that big a deal, filling a car with gas as fast as they could. Novice that I was, I couldn't understand why the tires needed to be changed so often, or the pressures the pit crews work under. Now, when I watch the race, I'm almost as fascinated watching the pit crews work as I am when the cars are on the track.

Just as welcome are the subplots dealing with the personal lives of the characters. Make no mistake: this is a series about stock car racing, but I find myself just as interested in seeing what happens to Jodell Lee and Cathy as I am in finding out who wins the race.

Finally, I appreciate the way the authors work in historical information about racing without seeming overly pedantic. They make it seem like part of the story, rather than shoehorning in a history lesson.

Overall, Rolling Thunder is a really fun series, and the authors promise that it'll just keep getting better.

I just got finished reading "Rolling Thunder - Road to Daytona", the second book in the Rolling Thunder series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It deals with 3 Tennessee racers who make it to the big time stock car racing world by running at the first Daytona race held at the Speedway.

The story kept my attention, and the history and characters, both real and fictional, held my interest.

I can't wait for #3.

I just finished book 8 and have read every book in this series. My first recommendation is that, with the exception of the 1st book, none of these novels should be read by itself. Bite the bullet and buy all 8 books from AMAZON.COM, if you are a NASCAR fan you won't regret it.
The first 4 books in this series deal with NASCAR's formative years when a former moonshine runner attempts to trade one fast-paced high-risk career for another. All four are excellent reads, although at times the attempts to place this fictional race team into established racing history are forced. Most NASCAR fans are familiar with the events and results surrounding the first Daytona and Talledega races, for example. For the most part, though, the authors do an admirable job of placing the Lee Racing team smack in the middle of these formative years without straying too far from the historical facts.
Upon starting Book 5, I was a little disappointed to discover that the authors had fast forwarded nearly 40 years to present day racing. However, by the midway point of that book, I became as interested in the lives of Rob Wilder and his contemporaries as I had been in Jodell, Bubba, and the rest of the Lee Racing clan. The older men, however, remain extremely active in the sport as car owners and senior mechanics.
In summary, all 8 of the books are well written and very easy to read. My only complaint is I WANT MORE!!! There are many story lines that can be followed up on and I can only hope that the authors continue to crank out more volumes!!!

All the books in this series are wonderful to read. It is a very clean language book, one where the naughtiest word is "Shoot". This one brings a sad, bittersweet smile to the face of most fans of stock car racing. I would recommend this book with only one small reservation, there are a number of small inside jokes, that only a true fan of NASCAR racing is going to understand. But overall it is an enjoyable read for any racing fan.

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardinier


We read Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardinier. This realistic fiction book is a must read! In this story, Little Willy lives with his Grandfather and dog Searchlight in wintery Wyoming. Grandfather gets very sick, and Little Willy worries he may not survive. Then Little Willy finds out he owes a big tax bill. He needs to pay $500 or they will lose their farm! So Little Willy enters his dog Searchlight into the sled race hoping to win the prize money. Stone Fox, who's never lost a race, also enters. Will Stone Fox keep his victorious record, or will Little Willy overcome the challenge to win the race? Read the book to find out!

You should read this book because it will teach you to face your fears and stay determined! We loved it because it was exciting and inspiring! We were inspired that Little Willy was only 1 of 6 people brave enough to race the intimidating Stone Fox (and the only kid). The description of the neck and neck race was so thrilling, we couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next! If you like adventure and dogs, this is the book for you! We strongly recommend this book because it is one of the best books we've read all year!

STONE FOX is one of the best written, most gripping children's stories. I have used it in my classroom with children ages 8 - 12. It is a story about a boy, his dog and his grandfather. It has an exciting plot line with a sled race. However I must warn you.... it has a SAD ending. A sign of a good book, I still cry everytime I read it and I have read it many times.

The Bad Sad Race!

Boom, the pistol shot for the Dog Sled race!

In the book Stone Fox Little Willy's grandfather is sick. Little Willy tries to cure it, but he dose not know what's wrong.

I like this part because I like races.

The others purpose for this story was to inspire kids and adults to race.

By Mikayla

The Dog Race

Boom the pistol shot up and the race had begun.

Stone Fox is an 81 paged book. Imagine you're self in Wyoming in a dog sled race going against someone you know but doesn't talk to you, and hurts you. It's about a little boy named Little Willy and his dog named Search Light. Search Light is ten years old and Little Willy is ten too. He has no brothers or sisters and lives with his grandfather. They live on a potato farm, and grows potato's every summer. Little Willy wants to save his grandpas farm so he enters a dog sled race to try and win money.

My favorite part is when the race had begun because I like races and I thought that was the best chapter because it was the most interesting chapter in the book.

I think the Authors purpose was to encourage kids to race and do there best.

I think this book is good for young readers .It's also good for kids who love dog's and like to read about dog sled racing. I think kids should read Stone Fox!!!

By:Brooke

I am disgusted with you that you are even considering the notion of ownership of this piece of literature. I am 28 years old, and this is the second book that I have read ever, first being Hop on Pop (which was AWESOME!!!), and I found it appalling that they allow this type of book on the market. Plot summary: Drunk grandfather refuses to get out of bed, and due to this, little Willy is forced to take on myriad problems that should not be forced upon such a young soul, including dealing with a 6-foot Alcoholic indian man with a shotgun and blood-thirsty wolf dogs, an un-tillable field, the death of his best friend and, of course, DEMOCRATS!
Children should not have to deal with the psycho-sematic problems that now plague me due to the off colour writing and poor emphasis on the deep rooted system of family values that is an integral part of this nation.
Reynolds is a Satanist. Stone Fox should be called Your Parents are Drunks, and You should Should Give Them Money that you Make By Killing Your Best Friend.

Don't let the title fool you - this book is probably the best geek read since Microserfs by Douglas Coupland. Well written, engaging and a superb ending.

This is most definitely a light book. Not anything intellectual but amazingly fun. I loved the descriptions of Boston, the computer culture and the absolute hilarity that ensues from one minor act. If you are looking for a lift and some laugh out loud moments, buy this book!

While it was enjoyable to read about the different areas in the city I live in, I thought this was not a very well written book.

Dogs Days by Daniel Lyons was a unique book for me to explore. I work in the dot com world, own a retired greyhound and have spent many years in the past working in the field of waste management in New Jersey if you know what I mean, so I feel uniquely qualifed to review this book. I cracked up at the description of the techie hotshots because it was so right on the money. The arrogance and self centeredness of these kids was descriptive and precise. We know almost immediately that these geeks would get what they deserved and there was nobody better to complete the task than the goons from North Boston, two cultures intertwine that deserve eachother. I really felt sorry for the grey since I know how high maintenance they are and the poor dog had to put up with this high tech high jinx insanity. The first half of the book was great, describing the false promises the software industry offered these kids resulting in unbelievable work schedules and enthusiasm for their work. When the corporate powers that be finally nixed their project things get ugly as they often do. The kids were unable to see between the lines and through their bosses smoke and mirrors, something the older generation is more adept at which is why high tech hates greyhairs. The book was well done but falters during the second half when the focus is on the race track and gumbas in Florida.

I know you love to read, and I think I have something you'll really, really dislike. I just finished this book called Dog Days, by Daniel Lyons, and it changed my life. I've never read anything that so perfectly captures the shallow things I think and feel every day. You absolutely must borrow it.

I know you're a busy person, but this book is just incredible. (To me, that is.) I mean, it blew my mind. I haven't read a book this meaningful since Catcher In The Rye back in high school, when I stopped reading books assigned to me by people with good taste. If you just give the first few cliche-ridden pages a try, I swear you'll be so put off, you'll want to throw it away. But I won't allow that, because I'll continue to hound you about it for weeks.

Look, I have it right here, and I think it's perfect for me. It's this incredibly trite story about a man who can't connect with people, so he creates a world where he talks to his pets. Then, after a while, they start to talk back to him, only you don't know if they're actually talking to him or if it's all in his imagination. I mean, like I said, you probably will be able to put it down after the first few pages. After that, it really doesn't pick up.

I really wish you'd read it, because I've been dying to discuss it with somebody. My mind has been reeling ever since I finished it. It's like a combination of William S. Burroughs' stream-of-consciousness and J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy sensibility. It's a little "out there," and the narrative is a total mess, but it kind of just barely makes sense once you've finished and digested it.

Yes, it is a "pointless pile of claptrap." But why would you say such a thing? That kind of cynicism is just the sort of thing this book talks about. It says that people like you mask your real feelings with sarcasm and are incapable of genuine human expression. If anyone really needs to avoid this, it's you. You won't change your tune once you get to the part about the kleptomaniac monkey in the candy store. Or the part where the protagonist tearfully confesses his failings to a cat he's dressed as his mother.

Well, okay, I'm just going to leave it here, and you can pick it up. Go ahead. I'll turn my back so you won't feel guilty or foolish. My back is turned. Do you have it? No? I can't believe you're so closed-minded! The predictable twist ending alone is worth the 572 pages you have to plod through. Actually, it's not, but it was to me.

Dog Days is so much more than an endless string of cliches with a gimmicky ending slapped on, seemingly from out of nowhere. The characters are forgettable, too, failing to leap to life off the page. Like Salty, the wizened sea captain whose life of loneliness parallels that of the nameless protagonist. Or the ghost of Eva Braun, who tempts him and tries to keep him from doing good. It's a rich tapestry of bizarre, poorly established characters, implausible plot developments, and thinly veiled autobiographical conversations that a dumb guy like me can't help but fall in love with.

Well, if you change your mind, I'd be happy to loan it to you. That is, if I haven't loaned it to someone else by then. Right now, I'm reading the new John Gray book, which you'll find every bit as bad as you expect. I'll have to get it to you when I'm done.

this like many other horse books was great. it's nice hearing about cindy's life.i love reading about people in the thoroughbred series diaries.cindy and ben are a cute couple .why won't cindy get married.she's so pretty.it's sad she can't race anymore.why did she have to get hurt?????but still it's a great book.PLEASE CONTINUE SUPPORTING THE TB SERIES!!!!!!!!!THEY'RE GREAT BOOKS

One thing- WHAT HAPPENED TO MAX?
If you've read the series you know that Max was Cindy's boyfriend.So, where did he go??????????????Ben is very annoying in my opinion and i want Max to come back.However, it was nice to finally know what happened to Champion and Ashleigh's baby, and the book had enough action and struggle to be interesting.It made me like the series again.

THIS BOOK WAS TERRIBLE. I THOUGHT CINDY LIKED MAX, NOT SOME...SOME... GUY... NAMED BEN! SECOND OF ALL, CHAMPION IS NOT A LOCO HORSE AND STUPID ENOUGH TO RUN ASHLEIGH OVER, AND SELLING HIM WAS STUPID. MIKE WAS ACTING ALL PARANOID. I HAD ENOUGH OF THESE NEW BUT COMPLETELY PATHETIC THOROUGHBRED BOOKS.
Why oh why can't Joanna Campbell start the series over again where she left off?

Cindy's Desert Adventure just snuck itself into the series, in my opinion.

I have to say, first, that Cindy is my least favorite character in the Thoroughbred series.She was snotty, stuck-up, and any other words that don't point to anything good.After Glory's Rival I gave up on the Cindy books.It always turned out the same: the horse won the race by an amazing margin.But when Cindy made an appearence in the later books(which are wonderful,but the first few with Wonder,Pride,and the rest are still my favorites) she slowly became a character I could stand.This is a good book, and well written, but it still didn't quite have that... flame that some other books of this series have had.

I'm glad that Cindy is back. Unlike some people. Cindy is my favorite char in the Thoroughbred books. It was kinda stupid to sell Champion because of you know what. He's a TRIPLE CROWN winner here people! Just cause he did what he did is no reason to sell him! Northen Dancer was that way but look what he turned out to be! HAHA!!!!! Not many horses win the TC eather! It's an honor to own one!!!! :P Over all, it's a 4-star book.