by A. S. Gintzler
ISBN: 1-56261-237-9
We read this book during our "railroad" unit study. It's a softcover book and is about 8 1/2" x 11" in size. There are 46 pages, 2 of which are the index.
It's chocked full of information. It doesn't look like it at first, but once you start reading it, you'll see. I read it aloud to my two children. I would guess that it's written so that a child of 9 or 10 could easily read it, but it's well enough written that it's interesting to me also. It is listed as "juvenile literature" on one of its introductory pages.
Here's an abbreviated listing of the contents:
The First Railroads
Working on the Railroad
Trains in the Civil War
Blasting through the Sierras
Native Americans and the Railroad
Race to the Finish
Wrecks, Accidents, and Disasters
The Great Train Robberies
Railroads Settle the West
Farmers vs. the Railroad
In Their Own Words
Railroads Past, Present, and Future
Did you you know that the time zones (Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern) all were born in 1883? Prior to the time zones, it was very confusing for the railroaders to make schedules. The sun set three hours later in California than the eastern part of the country. Have you ever heard of the Grange? It was important in the 1800's. What were immigrant trains? The railroads and buffalo--what's the connection? Why was sand poured on the tracks? These are just a few questions answered by this book. Lots of b&w photos and illustrations, some comical, are found every time you turn the page.
I recommend this book, especially if you plan on doing a unit study on the railroad. It's one of those books that is fun to start a unit with. A book like this can lead you into so many different directions; it could even serve as the outline for your unit study on railroads. Definitely a keeper.
It's a deal from Amazon.com!
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