Monday, November 28, 2011

Meister, Carl. Buzz Beaker and the Super Fast Car


Meister, Carl.     Buzz Beaker and the Super Fast Car (Stone Arch Readers).     
Stone Arch see Capstone    2011  31    15.99    978-1-4342-2529-0 
elem    Realistic Fiction    VG-BNe      

Buzz uses his scientific ability to invent a super fast car
which his slow-moving father falls in love with. Great humor, the illusion of
speed in the illustrations, and a father/son feel good read. Boys will
especially relate to this “love of speed” book. Grades 1-3. Buzz Beaker has a
scientific bent to his personality, similar to his scientist father. Tired of
always being late to events because of his plodding father, Buzz uses scientific
formulas to invent a fast car engine. The scientific formulas are actually
written on the page and will offer a chance for adults to talk about the science
behind what makes an object move. The humor in the text is especially funny when
the dog out races the slowly moving car that Buzz’s father drives. The
illustrations are wonderfully executed from the first pages which look like a
first grader coloring inside the lines of a coloring book evolving into advanced
illustrations that provide the illusion of speed as well as showing the quirky
personalities of Buzz and his father. The gleam in Buzz’s eyes as he relishes
going fast will ring true for readers who dream of going car racing. When Buzz
finishes his new car, he encourages his father to drive it and his father falls
in love with speed just as Buzz loves the need for speed. This is a fully
developed story line with character development as well as a well -executed
ending. A first choice for elementary school libraries.     Stone Arch Readers
provide reading level appropriate books for emerging readers. The Buzz Beaker
series provides a quirky character who will entertain emerging readers with his
antics in everyday situations. Grades 1-3.      McNicol, Lois

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