Drive Like a Champ: A Safe Start to Driving Smart by Allen S. Hardin. Atlanta, GA: Hardin Publishing; 2003. 88 pages, $19.95 (paperback).
The purpose of the book is to educate future drivers and save lives. The intended audience was "tweenagers," so the book is designed with illustrated and rhyming content. Content areas included 40 driving tips with additional sections on distractions, contents needed in an emergency, and a few general driving comments in addition to the 40 driving tips. The most unique features that stood out in the book were the illustrations.
The book was written from an adult perspective, highlighting points that new drivers should pay close attention to in order to make safe driving decisions. The content was accurate and complete and the illustrations colorful and eye-catching; however, the author's writing style was confusing, making the book seem disjointed.
As a reviewer, I never quite understood the audience that the book was intended for. If the book was meant for tweenagers, to me, that is before the teen years (8- to 11-year olds primarily). Therefore, the writing should be appropriately geared toward the audience; however, many of the terms were more suited to adults. As I read this book, the words did not match the age and stage of development; for example, slang terms such as "rubberneck" and "blind luck" were used without being defined for the audience. Many of the terms used were at least 3 syllables in length, which tweenagers might be able to read but not necessarily comprehend. Common terms in the book included "aggravation factor," "harass," "indication," "defensively," and "maneuver," which appeared to make the text understandable at a higher level than intended by the author. The readability of educational materials should be tested to ensure the educational material fits the literacy level.
The illustrations used chickens and a puppy as characters. These symbols were sensitive to ethnic/racial background, although they seemed to be aimed at younger children. Most tweenagers are not attracted to books with puppies and chickens and may consider the text juvenile. The book's general message of car safety is very important, but I do not believe the manner in the word choices and the characters were matched.
-Evelyn Brooks, RN, PhD
Professor of Nursing, Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO