Summers as a child for Holly Dufek consisted of loading up in the family car and traveling to her grandparents' farm in a small agricultural community. With each visit, she became captivated with the machinery her grandfather used around the barn and in the crop fields. Today, she shares that same child-like fascination with young readers.

Born in western Wisconsin, Dufek pursed a career in education. Her passion? To help children learn through reading. "I love the kids and teaching," she says. "And I have an agriculture background as part of my family, so it is an awesome way to combine both of these things."

DIGGING INTO BOOKS: The Spoonster kids — Charleigh, Tinleigh and Trey — gather around to read and look at the pictures in the new book "Planters

Working with Case IH, Dufek recently released the fifth book in her series that follows Casey & Friends around the farm as they introduce children to modern farming practices. In her latest book, "Planters and Cultivators With Casey & Friends," using real-action photographs, illustrations and a cast of cartoon characters, Dufek introduces kids to Tillus the worm, Tammi the Tiller, Evan the Early-Riser Planter and Peter the Patriot Sprayer, as they learn what it means to work together to make this year’s crop bigger than ever.

Dufek says that parents and young readers will appreciate the science packed within the pages. "It offers more on the science of soil, and experiments kids can do involving planting seeds," she says. This book starts with spring tillage and then goes further in depth on the mechanics of a planter — right down to the row units. The cartoons take readers through the science of fertilization and nutrients.

"It is important for kids to know that the modern farmer is a scientist and mathematician," she says. The new book incorporates science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), making "Planters & Cultivators" a great addition to school reading lists. To encourage use in schools, the book's publisher, OctanePress, made complimentary "Casey & Friends" lesson plans available on its website. "It is an opportunity to introduce kids to the science behind farming, and if they like science," she adds, "that could be a possibility as a career choice someday. It just gets young people thinking."

However, Dufek says that young farm enthusiasts will also appreciate the book. Written for kids ages 4 to 8, she says the cartoon characters and captions allow young readers to read on their own. But she finds even younger kids like the book because of the cartoons and the actual pictures of tractors. "When my son was very little, he knew all of the names of the characters," Dufek says. "The photos and graphics really kept his attention."

The book, "Planters & Cultivators with Casey & Friends," is available at octanepress.com.

More books about farming

Looking for other "Casey & Friends" books to share this holiday season? Here are four more:

• "A Year on the Farm with Casey & Friends" introduces children to the world of modern farming by teaching them about the different jobs a farmer does each season. Casey and her team show how tractors, combines and other equipment plant and harvest crops, work in the farmyard and care for animals. Learn how farming involves planning for the year, reacting to the weather and working as a team.
• "Big Tractors with Casey & Friends" shows how the biggest, most powerful tractors handle the demanding jobs of pulling and powering on the farm. Find out how Big Red and Sammy — the biggest tractors on the farm — use their powerful muscles to work in the field with the rest of the team. Learn about the science of farming, and discover how advanced technology makes Big Red and Sammy special.
• "Combines with Casey & Friends" explains the step-by-step processes used to harvest crops by the most complex machines on the farm. Follow Cody and Kellie — the combines of Happy Skies Farm — as they do the work of three machines: gathering, separating and unloading grain and corn.
• "Casey’s Bright Red Christmas" finds Casey the farmer busy feeding animals, repairing fences and planning for the year ahead. With so much to do, she wonders if she’ll have time to prepare for the holidays. That’s when Tillus and the team unite to make this Christmas extra special for their busy friend.