29 Best Transportation Books

Children around the world have long enjoyed the adventures of Cam Jansen, the pint-sized sleuth with the photographic memory. In this amusing addition to the series, Cam and her friends are holding a talent show to entertain the residents of the senior center. Everyone is having a blast with the jokes, tricks, juggling, and especially the treats from Ken’s Bake Shop. But then a wedding cake disappears from Ken’s truck-and the ceremony is only a few hours away! It will take Cam’s remarkable memory to solve this sweet case.

The Fast and the Furious meets Transformers in the second book of this high-stakes series about twelve-year-old Mace Blazer, who pilots state-of-the-art vehicles that transform seamlessly to race on the road, in the air, and even underwater.

Mace Blazer is the world’s hottest TURBOnaut. Compared to the other ‘nauts, he drives faster, dares harder, and pulls the craziest stunts. Since he won the Gauntlet Prix and revealed that he’s only twelve, the world has been screaming Mace’s name.

Now nothing–not even his friends and family–can hold Mace back from becoming the greatest racer of all time.

But when Mace suffers a nearly fatal accident while behind the wheel, he loses the nerve that made him the best. He’s done with driving fast. He’s done with TURBO. Until he finds out that his two best friends have mysteriously disappeared as part of a sinister plot that could destroy not just TURBO, but the world. Mace has no choice but to buckle back in, swallow his fears, and race to save the day.

In the thrilling sequel to TURBO Racers: Trailblazer, Mace will have to decide if he’s willing to risk everything to save the sport, and the people, that he loves. Every morph matters in this heart-pounding, exhilarating adventure series by acclaimed author Austin Aslan.

Tom Cotter is the best-known barn-find collector-car expert working today. Tom Cotter’s Best Barn-Find Collector Car Tales​ pulls together his best barn find stories from America and around the globe. 

Tom Cotter bought his first barn find some 50 years ago and has never looked back. Over the proceeding decades, he has continued to unearth automotive gems, some of which reside in his garage and others found just for the pleasure of the hunt.

Tom’s passion for automotive archaeology has made him a nexus for other barn finders, whose stories he has collected for more than 20 years. He’s further expanded the scope of his passion as host for The Barn Find Hunter, a Hagertys-sponsored webcast with over 100 episodes now available.

Tom Cotter’s Best Barn-Find Collector Car Talespulls together the very best stories from Cotter’s previous books and adds several new tales, all of which are presented in this handsome hardcover edition. From Shelby Cobras, to classic Duesenbergs, to Harley hoards and lost supercars, Cotter brings to light the most amazing, outrageous, and unexpected finds he and his barn-finding brethren have discovered.

In this third book of the middle-grade Adventures on Trains series by M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman, amateur sleuth Hal Beck travels to South Africa with his uncle to a ride a famous train…and stumbles onto a murder mystery!

Following his adventure on the California Comet, artist and amateur sleuth Hal Beck is looking forward to another railway journey with Nat, his journalist uncle–this time riding the historic Safari Star through South Africa. Then the already eventful journey becomes even more so when one of their fellow passengers dies on board!

Accident . . . or murder?

With help from a new friend, Winston (and his mongoose, Chipo), Hal is determined to figure out if a murder has really taken place and, if so, who among a long list of suspects is the killer–all before the Safari Star arrives at its final destination.

Feel like somebody hit the brakes on your Diesel Brothers cravings? Discover how you can keep the gas going with this rip-roaring ride behind the scenes of Discovery Channel’s popular series Diesel Brothers.

In the world of monster trucks, no one builds bigger and more extreme rides–and has more fun in the process–than Heavy D, Diesel Dave, and their crew at DieselSellerz. Their larger-than-life creations and awesome truck giveaways are legendary, but for those less fortunate who haven’t had the opportunity to experience a Bros’ souped-up truck, this thrill-ride of a book is the next best thing.

Learn the epic and inspirational stories behind Heavy D and Diesel Dave’s business and personal lives, from the guys’ first meeting, to their early adventures building DieselSellerz, to their successful business venture with Redbeard, Muscle, and the rest of the fearless staff. In addition to learning about the Bros’ two-year Mormon missions, humble beginnings, and world travels, you’ll also get the unforgettable details of their hilarious, most well-known pranks, and the remarkable stories behind the personalities that have made Diesel Brothers one of the fastest growing and most popular reality TV shows.

But wait–there’s more! The book is chock full of essential advice for anyone who’d like to get in on the action. Whether you’re a die-hard monster truck fan or just looking for inspiration to upgrade that piece of junk in your garage, Heavy D and his crew are here to show you how it’s done. You’ll learn how to find the best bargain in the junkyard, how to play hardball with tough-talking dealers, and how to turn that sad sack heap of parts into a badass diesel vehicle.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and let diesel freedom ring!

Nicola Skinner’s inventive, funny, surprising prose once again tells an honest story of big emotions, making Starboard the perfect follow-up to the critically acclaimed Storm.

Kirsten Bramble is too famous to have friends. That’s what she tells herself, anyway–but with the end of her hit reality TV show barreling toward her, Kirsten’s not sure she’s ready to say goodbye to her lonely life of fame.

Luckily–or unluckily–Kirsten can’t help being plunged headfirst into a new adventure when she’s dragged on a class trip to visit the SS Great Britain. Because somehow, the ancient ship can speak to her–and she wants Kirsten to be her new captain.

The ship pulls out of the harbor with no sails and no working engine, and try as Kirsten might, she can’t convince the ship to turn back until they find a way to help her finish her final quest.

Kirsten doesn’t feel like a captain–but along the way, she may just realize that the ending of an adventure, while scary, can be just as special as the beginning.

“We should run away,” said Lotti.
“But where?” asked Ben.
The breeze grew stronger. The woods breathed out the scent of bluebells.
Where will we sail to, Lotti, on the ocean of blue?
And just like that, Lotti knew.

In the aftermath of World War One, everyone in the small English town of Barton is trying to rebuild their lives. Ben is living alone in his father’s old narrowboat, the Sparrowhawk, avoiding the town constable, who is threatening to send him to the
orphanage, and awaiting news of his older brother, Sam, who was injured in France and has been declared missing. Lotti’s horrible aunt and uncle want to send her away from her beloved home to boarding school–just when she has so
successfully managed to get expelled from her last one. When a chance encounter brings the two children together, each recognizes the other as a kindred spirit, and they begin to find their bearings in their strange new world.

But this peace is temporary, and when the constable and Lotti’s aunt and uncle close in on them, Ben and Lotti decide to run away to find Sam. They hatch a risky plan to sail the Sparrowhawk through England’s canals and rivers all the way
across the sea to France. And there’s something in France that Lotti is looking for, too. …

The pair sets sail on the journey of a lifetime, facing wonders and danger at every turn, and discovers that having true friendship and love means that they are never alone in the world. Voyage of the Sparrowhawk is propulsive and deeply
satisfying, full of high stakes, twists and connections, and most of all–adventure.

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.

This is the first title in a high-stakes middle-grade two-book series!

As featured on Fresh Air with Terry Gross

A do-it-herself guide to auto maintenance, roadside emergencies, and the real scoop on how women can get honest car service at the garage, from engineer turned auto mechanic and award-winning entrepreneur Patrice Banks.

Do you feel lost when explaining your car problems to a mechanic? Do you panic when something goes wrong with your ride? Have you felt like you were being overcharged or pressured into unnecessary add-ons at the auto shop?

Fear no more: The Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide has got your back.

So many women feel powerless, nervous, or embarrassed when taking our cars in for a repair, and yet we outnumber men both as drivers and as customers at auto repair shops The time has come for us to grab the wheel and finally take control of our cars.

Filled with easy-to-follow illustrations and instructions, great tips, and lifesaving rules of thumb, The Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide will help take away the confusion and mystery surrounding cars, teach women what they need to know about how their cars work, and what they need to do to keep them running smoothly.

Patrice Banks was once like most of us: a self-professed “auto airhead” who was clueless about car maintenance, yet convinced that mechanics were taking advantage of her. Now she’s an auto pro devoted to empowering women to learn basic car repairs and knowing what to do in an emergency. So whether you get a flat tire when you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere, your car overheats, or a mysterious dashboard light suddenly starts blinking, help is just a reach-in-the-glove-box away.

In this second audiobook of the middle-grade Adventures on Trains series, amateur sleuth Hal Beck travels to the U.S. with his uncle to ride a famous train–the California Comet–and stumbles on a new mystery to solve, in M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman’s Kidnap on the California Comet…

After his adventure on the Highland Falcon, amateur sleuth Hal Beck is excited to embark on another journey with his journalist uncle. This time, they’re set to ride the historic California Comet from Chicago to San Francisco.

Hal mostly keeps to himself on the trip, feeling homesick and out of place in America. But he soon finds himself drawn into another mystery when the young daughter of a billionaire tech entrepreneur goes missing!

Along with new friends–spunky 13-year-old Mason and his younger sister, Hadley–Hal races against the clock to find the missing girl before the California Comet reaches its final destination.

A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends

In The Highland Falcon Thief: Adventures on Trains #1, a middle-grade series starter from MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman, a young boy is swept up in an investigation to uncover the perpetrator of a jewel theft.

This program includes an author’s note read by the authors

When eleven-year-old Harrison “Hal” Beck is forced to accompany his travel-writer uncle on the last journey of a royal train, he expects a boring trip spent away from video games and children his age.

But then Hal spots a girl who should not be on board, and he quickly makes friends with the stowaway, Lenny. Things get even more interesting when the royal prince and princess board for the last leg of the journey–because the princess’s diamond necklace is soon stolen and replaced with a fake! Suspicion falls on the one person who isn’t supposed to be there: Lenny.

It’s up to Hal, his keen observation, and his skill as a budding sketch artist to uncover the real jewel thief, clear his friend’s name, and return the diamond necklace before The Highland Falcon makes its last stop.

A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends

Long before Amelia Earhart became a superstar, she was a girl who longed to touch the stars. But the dresses women had to wear at the time made those dreams seem almost impossible. Amelia didn’t let that stop her. As a young aviator breaking records and expectations, she learned to fly her plane with flair. Later, she dared to create a trendsetting fashion line for active women like herself. Soaring in Style tells the groundbreaking story of how Amelia Earhart defied expectations in the air and on the ground to become America’s first celebrity fashion designer.

During World War I, British and American ships were painted with bold colors and crazy patterns from bow to stern. Why would anyone put such eye-catching designs on ships? Desperate to protect ships from German torpedo attacks, British lieutenant-commander Norman Wilkinson proposed what became known as dazzle. These stunning patterns and colors were meant to confuse the enemy about a ship’s speed and direction. By the end of the war, more than four thousand ships had been painted with these mesmerizing designs. Author Chris Barton and illustrator Victo Ngai vividly bring to life this little-known story of how the unlikely and the improbable became just plain dazzling.

Now a family friendly major motion picture from Fox 2000 Studios–featuring Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, and Kevin Costner as the voice of Enzo the dog!

In this young readers’ edition of the New York Times bestselling adult novel The Art of Racing in the Rain, meet one funny mutt–Enzo, the lovable dog who tells this story.

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs. Most dogs love to chase cars, but Enzo longs to race them.

He learns about racing and the world around him by watching TV and by listening to the words of his best friend, Denny, an up-and-coming race car driver, and Denny’s daughter, Zoe, his constant companion. Enzo finds that life is just like being on the racetrack–it isn’t simply about going fast.

Applying the rules of racing to his world, Enzo takes on his family’s challenges and emerges a hero. In the end, Enzo holds in his heart the dream that Denny will go on to be a racing champion with his daughter by his side.

For theirs is an extraordinary friendship–one that reminds us all to celebrate the triumph of the human (and canine) spirit.

The fearsome foursome is back in the second installment of the New York Times bestselling series praised by Rick Riordan!

The Mysterious Benedict Society is up against a new mission, significantly closer to home. After reuniting for a celebratory scavenger hunt, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance are forced to go on an unexpected search–a search to find Mr. Benedict. It seems that while he was preparing the kids’ adventure, he stepped right into a trap orchestrated by his evil twin Mr. Curtain.

With only one week to find a captured Mr. Benedict, the gifted foursome faces their greatest challenge of all–a challenge that will reinforce the reasons they were brought together in the first place and will require them to fight for the very namesake that united them.

A rip-roaring sequel to the adventure the New York Times called “engrossing and unpredictable, with likable heroes and charming accomplices.” Terrible news has reached cat brothers Anton and Cecil: their rodent friend Hieronymus has been captured. Anton and Cecil must try to rescue the mouse who once saved Anton’s life. Boarding one of the monstrous machines the mice call “landships,” the brothers travel to the Wild West. Along the way Cecil is tossed out onto the prairie by the train’s conductor, only to face bison, prairie dogs, and a boy who would make him a pet. Meanwhile, Anton meets a ferret friend who warns of stampeding herds, rattlesnakes, and fierce, enormous cats. Facing such danger, can Anton and Cecil find the courage and wit to save Hieronymus? Praise for Anton and Cecil: Cats at Sea: “The plot is carefully woven, the vocabulary rich and distinctive, and the characters engaging.” -Kirkus Reviews “Enchanting . . . [Lisa Martin and Valerie Martin] effortlessly submerge readers in the setting.” -Shelf Awareness for Readers “Children who like animal fantasies such as Avi’s Poppy will find much to enjoy here.” -School Library Journal

It’s time for this year’s Going Places contest! Finally. Time to build a go-cart, race it – and win. Each kid grabs an identical kit, and scrambles to build. Everyone but Maya. She sure doesn’t seem to be in a hurry…and that sure doesn’t look like anybody else’s go-cart! But who said it had to be a go-cart? And who said there’s only one way to cross the finish line?

Did you know that Amelia Earhart loved heights so much she built a roller coaster in her backyard? Or that she used to race worms with her sister? Bet you didn’t know that she took photographs of garbage cans to pay for flying lessons! Siblings Paige and Turner do?and they’ve collected some of the most unusual and surprising facts about the legendary pilot, from her childhood in the rural Midwest and the spark of her passion for flying to her record-smashing flights and her infamous disappearance over the Pacific Ocean. Narrated by the two spirited siblings, Amelia Earhart Is on the Moon? is an authoritative, accessible, and one-of-a-kind biography infused with Dan Gutman’s signature zany sense of humor.

From award-winning author Deborah Heiligman comes Torpedoed, a true account of the attack and sinking of the passenger ship SS City of Benares, which was evacuating children from England during WWII.

Amid the constant rain of German bombs and the escalating violence of World War II, British parents by the thousands chose to send their children out of the country: the wealthy, independently; the poor, through a government relocation program called CORB. In September 1940, passenger liner SS City of Benares set out in a convoy of nineteen ships sailing for Canada. On board were ninety CORB children, chaperones, and crew, along with paying passengers.

When the war ships escorting the Benares to safe waters peeled off and the way forward seemed certain, a German submarine attacked and torpedoed the Benares. What followed is an amazing example of all that people are capable of–the worst, and the best.

Join world-famous air racer Dusty Crophopper and his friends in this retelling of Disney’s Planes: Fire & Rescue. When Dusty’s engine fails and he learns that the part he needs cannot be replaced, he is heartbroken–he may never race again! But he soon discovers that the national park needs another firefighter, so he shifts gears and trains to become a certified firefighter. After joining forces with a courageous air attack team to battle massive wildfires, Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero.

In the 34th Horrible Harry book, Mary’s plans for a perfect birthday party go horribly wrong. Can her friends save the day? Mary has every part of her ninth birthday party planned: she and her friends will take the train to the park to see an outdoor concert and play. But when the train gets delayed, her perfect day turns into a disaster! Fortunately, Doug, Harry, and the rest of the gang are there to throw Mary a surprise birthday parade, and everyone learns that sometimes even when things don’t go the way you planned, you can still have a good time.

It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean. Come hear the hiss of the steam, feel the heat of the engine, watch the landscape race by. Come ride the rails, come cross the young country!

From high up in the sky, the Moon has spent her whole life watching Earth and hoping for someone to visit. Dinosaurs roam, pyramids are built, and boats are made, but still, no one comes. Will friends ever come to visit her? One day a spaceship soars from Earth…and so does her heart. This bestselling story celebrates the extraordinary fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing!

A brilliant blend of Shop Class as Soulcraft and The Orchid Thief, Earl Swift’s wise, funny, and captivating Auto Biography follows an outlaw-genius auto mechanic as he painstakingly attempts to restores a classic 1957 Chevy to its former glory–all while the FBI and local law enforcement close in.

To Tommy Arney, the old cars at Moyock Muscle are archeological artifacts, twentieth-century fossils that represent a place and a people utterly devoted to the automobile and transformed by it. But to his rural North Carolina town, they’re not history; they’re junk. When Tommy acquires a rusted out wreck of an old Chevy and promises to return it to a shiny, chromed work of American art, he sees one last chance to salvage his respect, keep himself out of jail, and save his business. But for this folk hero who is often on the wrong side of the law, the odds of success are long, especially when the FBI, local authorities, and the bank are closing in.

Written for motor heads and automotive novices alike, Auto biography interweaves this improbable hero’s journey with the story of one iconic car to chart the rise, fall, and rebirth of the American Dream. Told in words and eight pages of photos, this wise, charming, and heartbreaking true story is an indelible portrait of a man, a machine, and a nation on the road from a glorious past into an unknown future.

When a forty-seven-foot sailboat disappears in the Gulf Stream in the throes of a disastrous storm, it leaves behind three weary passengers struggling to stay alive. This middle-grade adaptation of an adult nonfiction book tells the story of the four intrepid Coast Guardsmen who braved this ruthless storm in the hopes of saving them. A spellbinding tale of courage and survival from the author of The Finest Hours.

The thrilling sequel to #1 NYT bestselling author Lev Grossman’s The Silver Arrow, in which Kate and Tom confront the limits of what even magic can do.

A lot has changed for Kate in a year. She and Tom are now full-fledged conductors of the steam-powered, animal-saving Great Secret Intercontinental Railway. Life is good!

Or good-ish, anyway. Her uncle Herbert has gone missing, and the worsening climate means that there are more and more animals that need help all the time. How many times does Kate have to save the world before it stays saved?

And her real life isn’t exactly perfect either. She flunked her audition for the junior high musical and got stuck in the chorus, while her archenemy Jag got a lead.

So, out of desperation, Kate breaks the rules and takes the Silver Arrow out on an unsanctioned mission, to find Uncle Herbert and bring back balance to the world. But she quickly discovers she’s not the only one on the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway. There’s a mysterious train called the Golden Swift out there too, with an agenda of its own. Is it an ally? A rival? An enemy? A bit of all three?

The question will turn Kate’s world upside down, take her from the Scottish Highlands to the Australian outback to the bottom of the Bering Sea, and lead her straight on a collision course with the mysterious masters of the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway itself. Because when you’re a human being fighting to save nature, are you the hero or are you the villain? There are no simple answers.