Clackety Track Poems About Trains by Skila Brown illustrated by Jamey Christoph

 Clever, engaging poems about trains

Perfect way to introduce a train-loving child to poetry.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit**

 I loved every moment I was reading this book. It is delightful and enchanting! I am bummed that I did not read this book aloud to my sons when they were younger. 

Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis experience an idealistic life in Edgecombe Villa, where Mother creates delightful stories and humorous poems to share with them over tea after school. Then one day men come for Father and take him away. The children have no idea where he has gone. Mother moves them to the country, near a railway. Although they are poor, and Mother has to write stories so they can eat, the children adjust to the life in the country along the rails.  Adventures and friendships await them. 

I loved how the children would spend most of their days outside without adult supervision, problem-solving and risk-taking. Readers will relate to each of the children even though they lived in 1905.

 A timeless novel

Discuss: British slang/words, British customs, a father being taken away

**Highly, highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library (I would like to buy this one.)

Ain't Nothing But a Man by Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson

 My Quest to Find the Real John Henry 

Mr. Nelson wanted to discover if John Henry was an actual person. Each chapter explains his investigation,his progress, and how he arrived at conclusions. Very interesting.

-Borrowed via ILL.

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel illustrated by Jim Tierney

We listened to this book on Audio CD read by Nick Podehl.
This book is a gripping adventure story which takes place on the 900- car train The Boundless which is traversing the Canadian Pacific Railroad.
Riding first class, Will is enjoying all the benefits of the wealthy on The Boundless.  At a stop, he, however, witnesses a murder and he recognizes the killer.  For the rest of the voyage Will is trying to escape the murder and warn his father about the danger.   Will reunites with Maren, a tightrope walker and Mr. Dorian, a circus ringmaster both whom he had met three years earlier.  With their help Will is hoping to reach his father and warn him before it is too late.
As the story unfolds, the reader will learn that all the characters are not who they seem to be.
A mixture of historical fiction, fantasy and adventure.
I wished I had been reading this aloud instead of listening.  I would have skipped parts (seeing warning below).  When I did not like something, I fast forwarded so I don't know if some events were expounded upon.
Good opportunity to discuss greed and its affects and Will's decision about what he will do in the coming years.
Warning/points to discuss: swearing (a**, dn, 'ell), violence (murder, Sasquatch kills someone, fighting), sensuality (Will likes Marian and enjoys physical contact they have-nothing inappropriate occurs-he just thinks about how he enjoys when her hand is on his back/in his hand etc; When Marian wears her circus outfits men check her out; mentions men going into bedrooms with women dancers), drinking/smoking (Will does drink a couple of times), stealing

I'm Fast! by Kate and Jim McMullan*

A train races a red car to Chicago.
Train enthusiast will enjoy this book!
-Borrowed from the library.
*Highly recommend.

Alphabet Trains by Samantha R. Vamos illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke

With rhyming text the author describes various types of trains as she steams through the alphabet.  The focused letter (both capital and lower case) is found within the illustrations for each letter.
I liked how the author shares more information about each train in the back and where in the world that specific train is located.
A must read for children who love trains!
I would incorporate a geography lesson along with this book.
Borrowed from the library.

I Can Read-Pete the Cat's Train Trip by James Dean*

"My First Shared Reading" Level (ideal for sharing with emergent readers)
Pete, his mother, and his brother Bob take a train to visit boys' grandmother.  Peter is given a detailed tour of the train while he travels.
A sweet ending!
Perfect for beginning readers (who know long vowel sound words).
*Highly recommend.

Tractor Mac-Family Reunion by Billy Steers*

Mac the tractor believes he is unique until he sees many others like him on a train load and then at a tractor dealership.  He begins to question who his family is.
Diagrams on the end pages-Steam train and Tractor Mac
*Highly recommend.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg*

A very well known book!
The narrator longs to believe in Santa and the North Pole.  On Christmas Eve a train stops at his house and transports him to the North Pole.  Here he is chosen to select the first gift of Christmas.  He chooses a bell from Santa's reindeer's harness.  Years later he still hears the ring but many others cannot hear its ring.
Strategy: inferring
*Highly recommend.
Guided Reading Level: N (beginning of third grade)
Grade Level Equivalency: 4.9

Trainstop by Barbara Lehman

A girl goes with her parents on a train ride.  While all the adults fall asleep, the train stops and she enters a magical world where her help is needed.  The last page is fun to further the reader's inferring skills.
Strategies: retelling, sequencing, inferring
Wordless book.

Black and White by David Macaulay

Caldecott Medal
Four different stories occurring simultaneously in four different panels.
Readers will have to think/infer how the four stories are tied together.
Strategies: predicting, inferring

Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell illustrated by Ted Rand*

Recommended to me by a second grade teacher . . .so glad she did!  She reads this book when she teaches her Flat Stanley unit.
I loved this book!
Based on a true story with sweet, sweet illustrations.
May wishes to visit her grandmother who lives seventy-five miles away.  Her parents do not have the money to send her via train so they mail her on the mail train car!
*Highly recommend.

And the Train Goes by William Bee

The illustrations remind me of Drummerhoff and 1970's! Various people enter a train and make specific sounds and/or phrases.  A parrot repeats everything it has heard at the end of the story.

Little Red Train-All Aboard! by Benedict Blathwayt *

Six stories featuring a red train and his driver Duffy.  All stories take place in England.
We love the illustrations-full of details . . .make you want to visit the English countryside.
I bought this collection five years ago and am so glad we own it!
*Highly recommend.
A transitional reader could read these stories.

How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton illustrated John Rocco

A boy explains how to pick, capture and train a train like a pet.
Cute!
Over sized so great for story time.

Train by Elisha Cooper*

The structure of this book  is well-thought -out-long like a train shape with thick paper.  Great for sharing with a group or a few children.  The reader begins the journey with the train at a station in the city.  As this train speeds along, it meets another type of train.  The reader follows this train until that trains meets another and so on.  The reader encounters several passenger trains, a freight train, an overnight train.  The reader experiences a journey from east coast to west coast.
Amazing!
*Highly recommend
Text structure: glossary and notes
Check out Mr. Cooper's other books-Farm; Beach

Locomotive by Brian Floca*

Experience the first ride on the transcontinental railroad in 1869.  Lots of details about how a locomotive works, what the scenery looked like at certain points.
A diagram of a steam engine is on the back endpages.
Creative layout; illustrations are incredible.  Book is oversized.
A MUST for train fanatics!  This review does not do the book justice!!
**Highly recommend.