From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 10 Up–This outstanding, common-sense guide covers important topics not mentioned in standard manuals such as automobile maintenance, getting gasoline, the differences between city and country driving, bad weather, the usefulness of cell phones in emergencies, and road rage. The book is clearly written and well organized, but it is also humorous and appealing, with lighthearted illustrations throughout. Gravelle emphasizes points with anecdotes from teen drivers. This title is particularly good in that it also discusses the special psychological and social issues facing adolescents, such as handling peer pressure to drive unsafely and dealing with nervous parents. Because getting a driver's license is such a rite of passage for teens, this book belongs in every library.
–Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gr. 9-12. Every new driver needs to read this book. Writing without condescension, Gravelle covers most situations a teen (or adult) driver might encounter. She begins by taking a look at things that need to be kept in a car (from insurance cards to a flashlight), and then goes on to discuss car maintenance, stressing the importance of knowing how to check the oil, the battery, and the window washer fluid. Going beyond the basics, she suggests how to avoid peer-pressure situations and deal with road rage, and she talks about the effects of drugs, both legal and illegal, on drivers. The slim volume, which, as the author suggests, is just the right size for keeping in the glove compartment, is peppered with lively ink drawings that add a touch of humor to the advice. Parents and teens can use this as place to start talking about the rights and responsibilities of hitting the road.
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
