Saturday Night Dirt by Will Weaver

Saturday Night Dirt by Will Weaver is about Mel (melody) Walters, her dad, Johnny, and their love of car racing. Mel and Johnny own and run Headwaters Speedway in central Minnesota, along with some gracious volunteers who couldn't bear to see the Walters' track go under. Every Saturday night, local racers of all ages and abilities face off in their stock cars. One particular Saturday night, rain has forced many larger tracks to cancel. With the weather holding off over Heatwaters, Mel sees this as their opportunity to bring in some extra drivers and more fans. With the storm quickly approaching and old, ongoing rivalries heating up, racing at Headwaters Speedway will surely be exciting this night!

I have to admit, I wasn't excited about reading this 2010-2011 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee. I grew up in Ames, Iowa, so I was somewhat familiar with the racing in Knoxville, IA. To be honest, car racing never interested me. That is, until this story. It was so exciting and action packed, especially the climax when the storm finally hits and the local racer goes up against the big time champion. I felt like I was at the track watching it all unfold in person!