Railroad Hank


Lisa Moser - 2012
    She's feeling kind of blue. Along the way, he stops to talk to Missy May, Country Carl, Cinnamon Cobbler, and Reel-'Em-In Sam. Each friend offers up something to cheer Granny Bett, but Hank has bigger ideas. By the time he reaches the mountaintop, his train is bursting with crazy cargo! And Granny Bett has a great idea for what to do with it all.

Night Train, Night Train


Robert Burleigh - 2018
    Largely painted in black and white, breathtaking illustrations feature pops of color as the train continues its trip until the full-color spectrum appears as dawn breaks and passengers arrive at the station. A nostalgic and innovative choice for readers fascinated by trains.

Mr. Complain Takes the Train


Wade Bradford - 2021
    Readers will hoot with laughter at this silly sendup of the sourpusses of the world. After all, doesn’t everyone know a Mr. Complain or two?Mr. Complain is ready for his vacation in Dullsville, but on the train ride there, nothing is the way he likes it. First, the engine is too loud. Then, the passengers are too happy. Plus, the cars are too crowded, the seats are too lumpy, and his seatmate is too prickly. And that’s all before the train even leaves the station!             Will Mr. Complain ever be able to relax and enjoy the ride? Find out as he travels through mountains, volcanoes, caves, and even oceans in this silly interactive story that’s perfect for train- and animal-loving kids.

Lantern Sam and the Blue Streak Bandits


Michael D. Beil - 2014
    He doesn't have much patience for humans (unless they bring him sardines), but when 10-year-old traveler Henry can't find his new friend, the exuberant Ellie, Sam's enlisted to help. A ransom note is soon discovered and just like that, Sam and Henry are on the case, with the help of Clarence the Conductor (who supplies Sam's sardines). But is Ellie still on board the train? Did the salesman with his trunk full of samples sneak her off? And why does that couple keep acting so suspicious?  Veteran middle-grade mystery author Michael D. Beil has crafted a hilarious and appealing adventure set in the 1930s that's chock-full of quirky characters, red herrings, and all with an irresistible cat at its center.

Alphabet Trains


Samantha R. Vamos - 2015
    Trains are used all over the world for carrying people and cargo from place to place. With a bouncy rhyming text, and clever illustrations full of visual cues, young readers will love learning all about trains. A companion to the Children's Book Award nominated Alphabet Trucks!

Ty's Travels: All Aboard!


Kelly Starling Lyons - 2020
    Family time and imagination and play are highlighted in this fun story, perfect for sharing with children 3 to 6.Ty wishes his family would play with him, but everyone is too busy before dinnertime. Luckily, Ty knows just what to do… Time for fun. Celebrate the power of imagination in All Aboard!With simple, rhythmic text and joyful, bright art, this Guided Reading Level I and My First series is perfect for shared reading with a child. Books at this level feature basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers. The active, engaging stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey. A Chicago Public Library Best Fiction Book for Young Readers 2020 *  Listed as one of 2021 Here Wee Read Ultimate Diverse Children's Book *  Author Kelly Starling Lyons selected as the 2021 Piedmont Laureate

Trains Run!


George Ella Lyon - 2019
    Now, all aboard for the fourth book in George Ella Lyon’s transportation series, and this time learn all about trains! Train travels down the track— all day gone all night back. Trains run! From steam engines to subways, from the locomotive to the caboose, this story stays right on track, exploring all different kinds of trains and what they do in a day.

The View from the Train: Cities and Other Landscapes


Patrick Keiller - 2013
    Now, in this brilliant collection of essays, he offers a new perspective on how Britain works and sees itself. He discusses the background to his work and its development – from surrealism to post-2008 economic catastrophe – and expands on what the films reveal. Referencing writers including Benjamin and Lefebvre, the essays follow his career since the late 1970s, exploring themes including the surrealist perception of the city; the relationship of architecture and film; how cities change over time, and how films represent this; as well as accounts of cross-country journeys involving historical figures, unexpected ideas and an urgent portrait of post-crash Britain.

Trigger Men: Shadow Team, Spider-Man, the Magnificent Bastards, and the American Combat Sniper


Hans Halberstadt - 1951
    Their leader made what was, and may still be, the longest range kill with a 7.62mm rifle. For the first time ever they explain what it's like to kill a man and what it takes to become one of the elite.The tragic tale of Headhunter Two is altogether different. This four man sniper team from a regiment known within the Corps as the Magnificent Bastards was killed in 2004 in Ramadi, Iraq. Their deaths not only caused a reevaluation of sniper tactics and techniques, but created a desire for vengeance that was exacted nearly two years later in dramatic fashion.Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews, Halberstadt gets inside the sniper mind and shows how they think and interact with each other, how missions are planned and executed, how the weapons work, and even what happens when a bullet finally strikes its target. There are only a few hundred snipers from all the services put together in combat at any one time, making this true inside story a rare and important event.Both a uniquely intimate look at what makes a sniper tick and a harrowing read filled with dramatic war tales, "Trigger Men" is a book about killers and killing, without apology and without remorse.

An Outlaw Thanksgiving


Emily Arnold McCully - 1998
    In November 1896, Clara Maher and her mother are traveling by train across the United States when snow blocks the tracks in Wyoming. A fellow passenger invites them to celebrate Thanksgiving with his friends in Utah -- but Clara is shocked to discover that the glorious feast's host is Butch Cassidy, the most notorious outlaw of all! An Outlaw Thanksgiving provides an enthralling look at the Wild West as it reminds us that hospitality can be found in the most unexpected places.

The Edge of Anarchy: The Railroad Barons, the Gilded Age, and the Greatest Labor Uprising in America


Jack Kelly - 2019
    -- The New York Times During the summer of 1894, the stubborn and irascible Pullman became a central player in what the New York Times called "the greatest battle between labor and capital [ever] inaugurated in the United States." Jack Kelly tells the fascinating tale of that terrible struggle. -- The Wall Street Journal Pay attention, because The Edge of Anarchy not only captures the flickering Kinetoscopic spirit of one of the great Labor-Capital showdowns in American history, it helps focus today's great debates over the power of economic concentration and the rights and futures of American workers. --Brian Alexander, author of Glass House In gripping detail, The Edge of Anarchy reminds us of what a pivotal figure Eugene V. Debs was in the history of American labor... a tale of courage and the steadfast pursuit of principles at great personal risk. --Tom Clavin, New York Times bestselling author of Dodge CityThe dramatic story of the explosive 1894 clash of industry, labor, and government that shook the nation and marked a turning point for America. The Edge of Anarchy by Jack Kelly offers a vivid account of the greatest uprising of working people in American history. At the pinnacle of the Gilded Age, a boycott of Pullman sleeping cars by hundreds of thousands of railroad employees brought commerce to a standstill across much of the country. Famine threatened, riots broke out along the rail lines. Soon the U.S. Army was on the march and gunfire rang from the streets of major cities.This epochal tale offers fascinating portraits of two iconic characters of the age. George Pullman, who amassed a fortune by making train travel a pleasure, thought the model town that he built for his workers would erase urban squalor. Eugene Debs, founder of the nation's first industrial union, was determined to wrench power away from the reigning plutocrats. The clash between the two men's conflicting ideals pushed the country to what the U.S. Attorney General called "the ragged edge of anarchy."Many of the themes of The Edge of Anarchy could be taken from today's headlines--upheaval in America's industrial heartland, wage stagnation, breakneck technological change, and festering conflict over race, immigration, and inequality. With the country now in a New Gilded Age, this look back at the violent conflict of an earlier era offers illuminating perspectives along with a breathtaking story of a nation on the edge.

Freight Train


Donald Crews - 1978
    . . freight train.In simple, powerful words and vibrant illustrations, Donald Crews evokes the rolling wheels of that childhood favorite: a train. This board book features sturdy pages and is just the right size for little hands.This Calecott Honor Book features bright colors and bold shapes. Even a child not lucky enough to have counted freight cars will feel he or she has watched a freight train passing after reading Freight Train.Donald Crews used childhood memories of trains seen during his travels to his grandparents' farm in the American South as the inspiration for this timeless favorite.

Melvin the Mouth


Katherine Blanc - 2017
    Readers are treated to a typical day for young Melvin, when ordinary tasks like getting ready for school, riding the bus, and completing his chores are charged with sound effects and accompanied by his own personal soundtrack. His knack for making funny noises and using the versatility of his voice was like no other--much to the relief of his teachers. Penned by Blanc's daughter-in-law, this first-person fiction-based-in-reality story is a fun romp and is sure to inspire young readers to turn trouble into triumph!"Dandy and dazzling and top-notch fun" -- Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW "Reading this book aloud will guarantee a boisterous romp of a story time in a library or classroom setting" -- School Library Journal "A scandalously overdue introduction to Mel Blanc" -- Booklist

Line 135


Germano Zullo - 2013
    This meditative picture book explores both, following a young child on a train ride from the city to the country. As the landscape transforms from a bustling city to a richly imaginative world in this distinctively formatted book, the child's sense of wonder and independence flourishes, as does a deep engagement with life and the possibilities that lie ahead—making Line 135 a quietly eloquent gift for anyone embarking on their life's journey.

Franklin's Big Dreams


David Teague - 2010
    Each night there's a different project: railroad, canal, runway-and every one of them is being built in the middle of Franklin's bedroom. Where are all these people going? And why are they in Franklin's room? Franklin's determined to find out.With equal measures of dreamy adventure and down-to-earth construction fun, this collaboration between new author David Teague and established illustrator Boris Kulikov is sure to be a favorite bedtime book in homes everywhere.