Super Cool Tech

A broad survey of high-tech wonders large and small, in an eye-catching format.Looking like a small laptop with plain silver covers when closed and set up to be read with pages flipping bottom to top when open, this successor to Cool Tech (2011) and Cool Stuff 2.0 and How It Works (2007) focuses on newer gadgets from the past half-decade, such as the Xbox One, smart watches, the Raspberry Pi, and hoverboards. Recent tech highlights such as New Horizon's 2015 Pluto flyby and innovative structures like Sweden's Icehotel also receive nods. A closing section offers speculative glances at passenger drones, hyperloops, flying cars (as if), quantum computing, and like near-future developments, capped with a set of more general prognostications in broad fields such as "Transportation" and "Everyday Life" ("Schools may be phased out in favor of live streaming of lessons to children's homes"). Despite the many captions, descriptive comments, and superficial "How It Works" boxed featurettes, it's the large, bright photos and (more commonly) hyper-realistic graphic images lighting up each single-spread entry that will be the chief draw here. There are no URLs or other leads to further information. Polished product for techno-browsers--current, if not likely to stay on the cutting edge for long. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

Gr 4 Up-From the cover that opens like a snazzy silver laptop to the detailed images of the inner workings of this decade's hottest technological innovations, this title will capture the attention of a range of readers. Younger readers might linger over the images of the inner layers of the Apple Watch, while middle grade readers may consider engineering careers that will allow them to tinker with technology. With the current focus on innovative and student-driven learning, this book serves as a launching point into deeper research. Those seeking in-depth descriptions of how inventions are developed or produced should look elsewhere, but readers in search of everything cool in technology will definitely want to interact with this colorful, engaging text. The cover does present an issue, as the binding is a bit flimsy, with hinging on the top and bottom and only a thin tape binding in between the covers. VERDICT School and public libraries should consider this resource as a browsable purchase but might need to add binding support.-Sarah Knutson, American Canyon Middle School, CA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2016
Grades 5-8 Everything about this appealing bookdesigned to resemble a laptop, with lift-up pages and chapter layouts that resemble appslives up to its title. Readers won't be able to resist exploring the ingenious technologies that currently exist and are yet to be invented. Chapters organized under such headings as Play, Construct, and Future explain how various technologies function, using full-color graphics that are clear and easily understood. Smart watches and holographic headsets, the Airlander and life-saving personal mobility devices, and many more are described in fascinating detail and depicted by cross-sections, cutaways, and thermal imaging, as well as other means. Included, too, are potential inventions of the future, such as passenger drones and flying cars. The text is brief, and although there's no further reading list, there is a glossary and an index. Appealing to anyone who loves cool technology and wants to know more about the way it works and how it impacts our daily lives and future.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)