Welcome to the RI Author Month
Reviews of other books by Thom Ring:
Synopsis: "Tony Stella is bored stiff. He lives in the Golden Acres Residential Community, an "old-folks" home he calls "the waiting room to heaven." He hates it. He longs for some excitement, and he knows where he'll find it; Spring Valley Speedbowl, where he was a multi-time champion as a racecar builder and driver. He decides he'll build a new car - but a new car built the same old way as the late models he drove to his championships. But Tony knows he's too old to drive, so he signs Dale Hammond, a high school kid who's just won rookie-of-the-year honors in the track's late model division - before losing the high-buck, ultra-modern late model ride that took him to the title. Can the young gun and the old warrior team up so that Dale can avenge being dumped and Tony can avoid making bingo the most exciting thing he does all day? Can the two find a common ground between the past and the future? And what's Santa got to do with it?"
My Review: I had previously read Motocross Summer by Thom Ring and it was a great book for middle grade to YA, particularly male readers though girls will also enjoy it. I decided to pick up this one as well as Red Racecar, which while they are not technically a series, they do seem to be companion novels with similar themes. I really enjoyed Dinosaur Racing, it is such a great book for young readers, it has a great way of teaching respect for elders and history but in a fun and approachable way. It is definitely a great book for those young gear-heads, a lot of racing and vehicle terminology but not so difficult that anyone could enjoy it. It is an easy read and action packed that will keep the pages turning, and a great cast of characters that you definitely become attached to (I didn't even realize how attached I became until the end). I highly recommend this book, especially for any reluctant readers.
My Rating: This is probably my favorite of Thom Ring's books I have read, I loved the bridge between the older generation and the younger. I am giving this one a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!
You can find out more about Thom Ring and his books on his Goodreads Page or Website.
You can also obtain your own copy of Red Racecar in print or digital format from Amazon
I’m impressed you got so attached. It doesn’t look like something I’d enjoy but I guess you never know.
ReplyDeleteIt really surprised me too! Until that moment when I started tearing up, I had no idea how attached I was to the characters. Just goes to show you that books for boys can have emotion too, it isn't all adrenaline.
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