First of all, Locomotive by Brian Floca has absolutely beautiful illustrations. [A/N: It was a Caldecott Medal Winner and a Sibert Honor Book so you know I'm not just whistling Dixie.] This could be a potentially dry subject (a 19th century family's cross country journey to a new home) but the illustrations really take it to a whole other lever. This is best categorized as classic picture book meets historical fiction. It reads as if it could be a nonfiction story of a family journeying by the newest technical innovation, the transcontinental railroad, across the country. This would work best either with a child who loves trains or to a slightly older group of kids (maybe in a classroom) who want to know more about this period of American history. 8/10

 

What I'm Currently Reading: The Star Diaries by Stanislaw Lem

 

Locomotive tells the story of the building of the first transcontinental rail line in the 1860s, and of the steam engines that traveled the line, as told from the point of view of a family journeying from Omaha to Sacramento. My brother and sister-in-law gave this to my boys, and my almost-four-year-old loves it, but it's too long to read cover-to-cover and sustain his (limited) attention. He brings it to me and sits enthralled, asking questions, while I read 10-15 pages, and then he's off to the next adventure. I heartily recommend this book anyway, though, because even in small doses, my train-crazy son enjoys it, and older readers (including Moms and Dads) will really enjoy it. The history is fantastic and the illustrations are great -- both beautiful and informative.

"Forget catching up on your reading-you have scenery to inspire you and time for an innocent flirtation or two. Or ten. Maybe not so innocent and more than a flirtation" This is how this anthology is introduced and the travel kept its promise, I enjoyed most of the stories. What prevails however is that I discovered Nathan Burgoine whose story really made a strong impression on me.Introduction or the wolf-man that ate me near Chicago : **Highland speeder – Jeff Mann : ** No Mincing Words – Rob Rosen : ***Elsewhen – ‘Nathan Burgoine : *****Mount Olympus – Jeffrey Ricker : *Reunion on the rails – Hank Edwards : *** The blue train – Erastes : ****The train home – Rick R. Reed : **Royal Service – Dale Chase : ***Resist me, please! – Daniel M. Jaffe : *Engine of repression – Gavin Atlas : **Shadow mapping – JD Barton : ***Geronimo’s laughter – Joseph Baneth Allen : ***The Roundhouse men – Dusty Taylor : ***The Last Train – William Holden : ****