(1) PS Daredevil Annie has a big imagination--and a plan. In her sleek racing car, Annie zooms out of her second-floor bedroom window; then, gleefully bypassing all geographical logic, drives up a mountain; through a desert, a forest, and a city; and across a finish line (first place!). Dynamic illustrations reinforce Annie's racecar love with details in her racecar-themed bedroom, where she ends her epic journey, in bed reading a book with her family.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Rebecca Evans. Growing up in seventeenth-century Denmark, Ole Romer wondered why lightning appeared before thunder sounded. Later, as an astronomer in Paris, Romer's observations of Jupiter's moon (Io) led him to calculate the speed of light. Dense scientific information is lightened by comic-panel illustrations with speech-bubble jokes about ice cream, plumbing, and butts. Budding scientists will enjoy learning the slow process of scientific discovery. Timeline.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Orbie. Delivered to "the Zoom" (instead of the "Zzzzzoo"), a sloth doesn't understand why the animals are always in a hurry. She takes her time, and eventually, gradually, makes friends with a snail. In the end, the other animals pause long enough "to become fast friends." This tale will especially appeal to children who move at a different pace; Orbie's illustrations offer lots to slow down for.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Barry Allen, also known as superhero speedster The Flash, races to the sixty-fourth century to confront the reality-bending menace Hocus Pocus on his home turf. Back home in twenty-first-century Central City, Kid Flash and the rest of Barry's friends hunt down Earthworm, a sewer-dwelling villain. This installment closes the spinoff trilogy from TV's The Flash with more campy action and superhero-adjacent science concepts.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis. Featuring a handful of "underdogs" in the animal kingdom, this informative book is also intended to serve as an affirmation for young humans who feel like they just don't fit in. Creatures' seemingly negative attributes are identified and then explained for the lifesaving traits that they actually are. The digital illustrations are friendly and engaging and complement the chatty text. "More About the Underdogs" is appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Katie Darrin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Vivienne To. Always on the go, Amy's family does everything in a hurry. When Amy brings home a sloth, he slows down the family, and they learn to appreciate one another and life around them--to Amy's relief. This story about the drawbacks of today's rapid-fire life and the benefits of taking time out will resonate with both jet-propelled readers and those who move more purposefully.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laurel Molk. Giant Galápogos tortoise Harriet defies other creatures' jeers and explores the ocean and surrounding islands at her own slow pace: "She was in no hurry. There was plenty to see." A calmly voiced narrative encourages readers to follow their own rhythms, while eye-catching watercolor and block-print illustrations depict the exotic creatures along Harriet's saunter. Note on a real tortoise named Harriet included.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) PS Illustrated by Simona Ciraolo. In this clever cumulative story reminiscent of "The Gingerbread Man," swift mouse Jake outruns the clutches of Old Tom Cat, plus a fox, wolf, and bear. "'Can't catch me!' sings Jake. 'I'm the fastest mouse in the world!'" That is, until the boastful rodent is finally outwitted (and gobbled up) by Old Tom Cat. Energetic pencil and watercolor illustrations capture the animals' spry movements.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 First Facts: My First Guides series. Superficial, stats-filled text introduces a variety of high-speed vehicle types (including helicopters, race cars, sports bikes, ATVs, and trains) as well as some very basic technology concepts behind their designs; clear action photos appear on recto pages. Fact boxes throughout spotlight specific vehicles, such as Japan's famous bullet trains. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Comparison Fun series. After a note to adults provides reader-encouragement tips, these slim easy readers make comparisons using familiar objects (school buses, a bathtub) or animals to explain either the speed or size of each of the four mammals. Some of the examples are more concrete or easier to grasp than others. Crisp color photos illustrate the text; additional facts are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Comparison Fun titles: How Big Is a Blue Whale?, How Fast Is a Cheetah?, How Slow Is a Sloth?, and How Tall Is a Giraffe?.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Comparison Fun series. After a note to adults provides reader-encouragement tips, these slim easy readers make comparisons using familiar objects (school buses, a bathtub) or animals to explain either the speed or size of each of the four mammals. Some of the examples are more concrete or easier to grasp than others. Crisp color photos illustrate the text; additional facts are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Comparison Fun titles: How Big Is a Blue Whale?, How Fast Is a Cheetah?, How Slow Is a Sloth?, and How Tall Is a Giraffe?.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) 4-6 Megafast series. Illustrated by Mat Edwards & Jeremy Pyke. After an introduction to the kind of vehicle, each book features double-page-spread profiles highlighting stats, physical features, and mechanics of specific models. Color photos are superimposed (sometimes jarringly) on other photos and drawings on each spread, and there's very little transition between the profiles. Still, young middle graders will be attracted to the power and mobility of these cutting-edge "megafast" machines. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Megafast titles: Megafast Cars, Megafast Motorcycles, Megafast Planes, and Megafast Trucks.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Megafast series. Illustrated by Mat Edwards & Jeremy Pyke. After an introduction to the kind of vehicle, each book features double-page-spread profiles highlighting stats, physical features, and mechanics of specific models. Color photos are superimposed (sometimes jarringly) on other photos and drawings on each spread, and there's very little transition between the profiles. Still, young middle graders will be attracted to the power and mobility of these cutting-edge "megafast" machines. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Megafast titles: Megafast Cars, Megafast Motorcycles, Megafast Planes, and Megafast Trucks.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Megafast series. Illustrated by Mat Edwards & Jeremy Pyke. After an introduction to the kind of vehicle, each book features double-page-spread profiles highlighting stats, physical features, and mechanics of specific models. Color photos are superimposed (sometimes jarringly) on other photos and drawings on each spread, and there's very little transition between the profiles. Still, young middle graders will be attracted to the power and mobility of these cutting-edge "megafast" machines. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Megafast titles: Megafast Cars, Megafast Motorcycles, Megafast Planes, and Megafast Trucks.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Megafast series. Illustrated by Mat Edwards & Jeremy Pyke. After an introduction to the kind of vehicle, each book features double-page-spread profiles highlighting stats, physical features, and mechanics of specific models. Color photos are superimposed (sometimes jarringly) on other photos and drawings on each spread, and there's very little transition between the profiles. Still, young middle graders will be attracted to the power and mobility of these cutting-edge "megafast" machines. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Megafast titles: Megafast Cars, Megafast Motorcycles, Megafast Planes, and Megafast Trucks.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Super-Awesome Science series. This series uses high-interest topics as a way to lure readers into consideration of myriad scientific concepts (including medicine, optics, acoustics, and Newton's laws of motion) and technological cornerstones such as sound recording and mechanical design. Photographs are plentiful but not always captioned. Comprehension activities and writing prompts are included throughout. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Super-Awesome Science titles: The Science of Superheroes, The Science of Speed, The Science of Sports, The Science of Movies, The Science of Music, and The Science of Warriors.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) K-3 Scholastic Reader series. Illustrated by Greg Paprocki. In their fourth easy reader, Hot Rod Hamster and friends head to the waterpark on a hot day, where Hamster challenges two big dogs to a race down a waterslide. As usual, rhyming verses engage readers with choices: "Striped tube. Bright tube. Race tube. White tube. Which would you choose?" Brightly colored illustrations make a splash as the pals cool off.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Leo Espinosa. The people of Windy Flats count on Jackrabbit McCabe and his extra-long legs to deliver messages fast. Will the advent of the electric telegraph make Jackrabbit's gift obsolete? Only a man-versus-machine race will yield the answer. Espinosa's illustrations find the humor in this old-timey yarn, which is both informative and sensitive to the idea that progress can have human costs.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 SportsZone: Great Moments in Olympic Sports series. After a brief introduction to/history of the sport, each of these books covers memorable Olympic moments. Chapters focus on individual athletes and their inspiring stories of hard work, determination, and talent. Sidebars and captioned photos highlight additional events and competitors. Skating includes both figure skating and speedskating. "Great Olympians" and "Places to Visit" lists are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these SportsZone: Great Moments in Olympic Sports titles: Great Moments in Olympic Skating, Great Moments in Olympic Snowboarding, Great Moments in Olympic Gymnastics, and Great Moments in Olympic Basketball.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Stylish double-spreads list a speed on the white verso (from a hedgehog's average speed [1.5 km/h] to a shooting star [over 100,000 km/h]) with the corresponding animals, objects, and machines rendered in limited palette on the indigo-backed recto. Illustrations are striking but not to scale. Back matter is an informative paragraph about each object pictured.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian