Slammed: Honda Civic

Gr 7 Up—This new series features teenagers from various cultural backgrounds and cities, who all have one thing in common--a love for illegal car racing. Blind Curve chronicles Vietnamese tomboy Penny's experience as the owner of an Acura Integra. She tunes up her car with the help of her older brother, Bee, in exchange for completing his homework assignments. When a car that looks just like her own is involved in a hit and run, Penny is not sure if Bee is involved. Jacked focuses on James and his Ford Focus ST, which he sneaks out of his parents driveway to drive downtown. The first night he is out on the road, he rescues an older girl, Kim, who also loves car racing. Kim owes a debt to a dangerous thug and James decides to help her clear her name. Slammed, the most interesting of these titles, centers on DeAndre, the owner of an impounded Honda Civic. DeAndre has just been released from juvenile detention and wants to get back to racing, even though it will violate his parole. LT, DeAndre's mentor, tries to get DeAndre out of the racing game and on the path to a crime-free life. All three titles have a brief history of the car models featured in the book, including information about each vehicle's specifications and history. Like most high-interest, low-reading-level titles, the writing is designed for struggling readers. An additional purchase where high-low books are in demand.—Lindsay Klemas, JM Rapport School for Career Development, Bronx, NY