Reading Level: Grade 3 Interest Level: Grades 3 – 7
Sunshine, solid ground, and fresh air. You don’t find these things in underground coal mines. Miners must be prepared to work in pitch-black darkness and survive explosions, cave-ins, and the release of deadly gases. Go beneath the surface of one of the most dangerous jobs.
These books are a browser’s paradise. The bulk of the photography is impressive, filling the pages with gritty (but not grisly) images of explosions, crashes, and falls, as well as big vehicles and machinery. Rodeo Clown is definitely the best of the set, followed by Coal Miner and Ice Road Trucker. Gordon’s writing has an edge-of-your-seat tone that undergirds the photos, and all of the books offer interesting, accessible nuggets of information. Bold graphics rendered in red, yellow, and black complete these exciting volumes. These titles will find success in the hands of readers who might daydream about tackling an adrenaline-pumping profession some day.
