Book Boy was already a fan of Baddiel’s humour & Lenton’s illustrations and had read several of their collaborations. This one, with a tuned-car vibe, definitely hit the spot. I’d recommend any of these titles for readers aged 8+

“The Taylor TurboChaser is a road-trip rollercoaster… with a twist.

At its heart is the unforgettable Amy Taylor. Amy loves cars, and dreams of being a driver. But there’s a major catch: her slow old wheelchair with its broken wheel. When Amy finally gets a new electric one, it’s exciting… at first.

But standard engines only have so much power. And that’s where Rahul comes in – Amy’s best friend and genius inventor. Soon Rahul turns a wheelchair into… a supercar!

And so the Taylor TurboChaser is born. But when it all goes suddenly wrong Amy is going to have to hit the road – and drive…”

This one’s from an independent publisher, Dinosaur Books. I really like that this one focuses on electric cars – I certainly haven’t seen many of these!

“Do not try to cheat. You will be caught!”

That’s the ever-so-friendly message waiting for the racing teams when they arrive on Rumblemore Island for the Mash-Up Machines racing competition – a thrilling series of electric, recycled car races through the wild terrain of Rumblemore Island.

But who would think of cheating?

Not Lexie, the brave young racing driver. And not her friend Jace, the boy who loves fixing up old machines.

But what about Mr Deesol Dragg? He’s already rich (you should see his super-powered car!) and now he seems determined to be famous too.

He wouldn’t cheat to win… or, would he?”

This one features motorbikes and is definitely more suited to tween readers. It touches on plenty of issues that older readers may be coping with.

“Fourteen-year-old ‘model pupil’ Davidde (his parents had trouble spelling) lives with his dad after his mother died. His father does his best, but when a new headteacher starts at his South Wales valleys school, Davidde is unfairly labelled a troublemaker. To the horror of his teachers, Davidde finds a new passion for mortorcycle scrambling. At last he is able to take on the school bullies, earning himself the longed-for respect of his father, not to mention the mysterious Black Rider. But when his determination to succeed leads him to betray the trust of those closest to him, events threaten to overwhelm Davidde…”

Most car fans will know how the The Stig is. They may be pleased to know that there’s a whole series of middle grade books starring the white-helmeted racer for them to enjoy.

“An enigmatic racing driver. A bunch of kids. One hell of a ride …

The Stig’s one known nemesis, the evil villain PT Cruiser, is dying, his plan for global domination in pieces. And The Stig is missing, presumed dead. But rumour has it that he is in a dusty hick town in the USA, racing again and winning every time, no matter how beaten up the car.

So begins another adventure for the gang: Sam Wheeler, Ford Harrison, Buster Mustang and Cabriola Cruiser. The friends head out to the USA in search of The Stig, to try to unlock the mystery of the helmeted hero. Sam and Ford embark on a road trip across the country in a massive Winnebago. Buster scopes out the desert towns with his trusty sidekick TG Dog. And Cabriola finds herself in a mountaintop eyrie, with a new wicked family member to contend with … The gang soon find that PT Cruiser is still hellbent on eliminating The Stig, no matter what. And his evil reach extends beyond his sick bed with a new piece of evil tech for the gang to thwart …”

Book Boy enjoyed this as an audiobook but it is also available in paperback. It is probably most suitable for tween car enthusiasts.

“In Turbo Racers: Trailblazer, twelve-year-old Mace Blazer gets the chance to pilot a state-of-the-art vehicle that transforms at the touch of a button from race car to jet plane to single-person sub, in the biggest race in the world.

The roar of the crowd, the glow of the spotlight, the thrill of the race—Mace Blazer dreams of going TURBO.

TURBOnauts thrive on the thrum of trimorphers’s rocket engines as the vehicles morph from super-powered race cars to speeding jet aircrafts to torpedo-fast submarines, while they race full-throttle around every bend. And Mace believes he’s got what it takes to join their ranks—he only needs the chance to prove it.

So when a reclusive retired racer chooses Mace to try out to be part of the next generation of TURBOnauts, Mace knows that this is his moment to show what he can do. But the path to his big shot means facing down the best and the brightest from around the world. Mace will have to live more fearlessly, hone quicker reflexes, be revolutionary—but will it be enough?

Mace quickly realizes that everything he’s ever hoped for comes at a price. He’ll have to decide between what is right and what is easy. Every morph counts in the first book in this exhilarating new adventure series by the acclaimed author of The Islands at the End of the World, Austin Aslan.”

We’re big fans of sporting biographies in this household, and I really love this series which is highly-engaging for older primary readers, but also accessible for younger ones too.

“Is Formula One icon Lewis Hamilton your ultimate sporting hero? Regarded as the sport’s finest competitor, Hamilton’s star profile has never been higher, with a record-equalling 7 drivers’ championship titles to his name, plus a huge following around the world. Packed with cool facts, delightfully fun illustrations and inspirational quotes, this easy-to-read fan guide follows Hamilton’s meteoric rise from a go-Kart racing champion at the age of 10 to his sensational maiden season in F1 in 2007 and the subsequent Championship wins that have made him a living legend.

The Sports Superstars series is aimed at building a love of reading from a young age, with fun cartoons, inspirational stories, a simple narrative style and a cast of characters chipping in with quotes, jokes and comments.”

I have found it almost impossible to find an age-appropriate book about the mechanics of cars. They are either very basic vocabulary builders for toddlers, or full-on instruction manuals for adults. ‘Car Science’ does a good job of trying to bridge the gap in between!

“Top Gear’s Richard Hammond peers under the bonnet of the world’s top supercars to find out how cars work in this turbo-charged children’s science book.

Discover the fast and furious physics going on inside every car, from G-force and horsepower to acceleration, inertia, and friction. Help your child discover all about the science in this explosive tour of their favourite dream cars.

Find out how cars revolutionised the world, see how a car functions with jaw-dropping diagrams, cutaway drawings and cool graphics. Steer to the fundamental science behind the mechanics and then sit back for an exciting look into the future of minimal emissions, maximum fun.
PLUS, find great things your child will love to make and do!”

One for a slightly younger audience here – this one is a step up from your basic picture book in terms of complexity. This looks at various human-powered vehicles, including some cars!

“Mad about marvellous vehicles? Hit the road with writer and broadcaster JAMES MAY to discover incredible human-powered vehicles – from bicycles and submarines to amphibious vehicles and even a helicopter. Yes, really!

Our EXPERTS are famous for their incredible know-how and passion for their subjects, and now they have made it their mission to share that knowledge with you in LITTLE EXPERTS: the inspirational new non-fiction series for six- to nine-year-olds.

This jaw-dropping non-fiction journey has bright, inclusive and stylish artwork throughout by Emans.”

This is slightly different to all the others as it encourages (and provides step-by-step guidance to) readers who fancy applying scientific knowledge to building their own prototype racing cars.

“Build your own moving race car from household objects in this step-by-step guide based on the science behind Formula One.
Take your place at the starting gate and fire up your engine: it’s time to build your very own racing car! Join presenter and maker Fran Scott for a crash course in racing engineering, then use your new-found skills to build your own awesome air-powered machine using household objects. From the chassis to the engine, discover the science behind Formula One in this perfect project for budding young engineers. So what are you waiting for? 3, 2, 1 … let’s race!”

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