Nugget on the Flight Deck    by Patricia Newman & Aaron Zenz Order:  USA  Can Walker, 2009 (2009) Hardcover      Reviewed by Bob Walch Nugget on the Flight Deck takes young readers age four and older aboard an aircraft carrier and introduces them to the life of a combat pilot. The author works in the lingo used by the ship's crew and the men and women who pilot the birds. The nugget (a new aviator on his first tour of duty) is accompanied by an experienced airman who gives him a tour of the mother (the aircraft carrier) which includes the officer's mess (dining hall), basement (main hanger deck), and roof (main flight deck). Then it is time to slip into a zoombag (flight suit), do a flight check, climb in the the F/A-18F's cockpit, and prepare for the shooter (catapult officer) to launch the fighter plane. After a practice dogfight with a bogey (unidentified aircraft) and in-flight refueling, it's time to bingo to mom (return to carrier). When they land, the tailhook attached to the plane's tail snags the arresting wire and the 54,000 pound plane traveling 150 miles an hour comes to an abrupt, bone jarring stop in two seconds. Aaron Zenz's colorful illustrations document each segment of the nugget's adventure on the ship and in the air. The special vocabulary used to tell the story is also fully defined at the bottom of each page where it appears. After reading this book, would-be naval aviators will be so spooled up they'll want to impress their family and friends with their new jargon. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews