Scout Pinewood Derby Cars and Real Cars: Dad, Sir Isaac Newton, and Me

You want a fast Pinewood Derby car? You want to know why you have a fast car? Then this picture book is for you. Do you think you'll grow up, or already have grown up, and will want to be a scientist or engineer, or will want to at least understand how cars work?

Are you looking for ways to relate a Pinewood Derby car to real people cars, so that the whole Pinewood Derby experience helps down the line when thinking about people cars?

Admittedly, the explanations are not at the 8 year old level, although the design techniques to go fast are fine for an 8 year old. The audience is from 8 years old to 108 years old. The pictures and graphics are engaging for any age.

Pinewood derby cars allow kids to use wood, hammers, nails, and creativity and competition. The kids can build it themselves, and learn to use their hands. Through teaching, it is possible that the scout leaders and parents themselves learn more from doing the activity.

This picture book compares the pinewood derby cars to real cars, and could be read by both the parent and the kid together, to trigger and answer questions. The general concepts are all in the main part of the book, and the details or the more advance material or explanations are placed in the appendices, so the main part of the book keeps a lighter flow of concepts. Part of the emphasis of this book is a description of some of the physical reasons a PD car goes fast, reducing drag, and part is a comparison of PD cars to people cars. This book is good in combination with other Pinewood Derby books that more directly describe the step by step process to making a good Pinewood Derby car.

This book is one of two versions. This more advanced version does go into detailed engineering analysis in the appendices only. The lighter version, 'Scout Pinewood Derby Cars and Real Cars, for Kids', is mostly the same but does not have appendices, and does not go into detailed analysis. This other lighter version is more fun and appropriate for someone who is not interested in engineering equations.