Railroad Fever (Direct Mail Edition): Building the Transcontinental Railroad 1830-1870 (Crossroads America) - Hardcover

Halpern, Monica

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0792267672 ISBN 13: 9780792267676

Publisher: National Geographic Kids, 2004

Synopsis

In the 1840s, the desire for new land and the promise of riches drew thousands of Americans westward. But the journey by wagon and on foot was slow and dangerous, and people yearned for a new way to travel. The dream of creating a railroad that spanned the entire country seemed at best fleeting, but the passion of a few ignited a nation. Railroad fever had struck. The transcontinental railroad would forever change the face of the country. Through the hard work of Irish and Chinese immigrants, former slaves, and others, the dream of transcontinental travel became a reality. Fighting rough terrain and enduring backbreaking work and terrible conditions, the workers pushed on in the “great race” that developed between the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific railroads. Part of National Geographic’s Crossroads America series, Railroad Fever: Building the Transcontinental Railroad, 1830–1870 is a story of struggle, dreams, and the building of America.

About this title

About the Author

Monica Halpern is a children’s book writer who has penned several National Geographic Science Chapters. She is also the author of Railroad Fever: Building the Transcontinental Railroad, 1830–1870 (which received a starred review in School Library Journal) and Moving North: African Americans and the Great Migration, 1915–1930. Halpern lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Reviews

Grade 4-6–Arranged in six chapters with one-page subtopics, this book presents a brief but thorough discussion of the railroad as it relates to the history, environment, and social conditions in the United States. Halpern covers the need for improved transportation, the planning and funding of the railroad, the opposition to its construction, the workers and working conditions, the "great race," and the advent of train robbers. The pleasing format features wide margins, neatly arranged text, sidebars, and numerous illustrations (vintage black-and-white photos, sepia photos, two maps, and several attractive softly tinted, pen-and-ink drawings). Informative captions and quotations from famous Americans of the time enhance the narrative. Rhoda Blumberg's Full Steam Ahead (National Geographic, 1996) has several similarities (including five photos) to this title, but offers more in-depth coverage on a higher reading level, making the two books good companions. This is a first-choice purchase for its visually appealing presentation and its succinct yet thorough treatment of the topic.–Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reviewed with Daniel Rosen's Independence Now.

Gr. 3-5. Designed to shed light on themes in U.S. history, these volumes in the new Crossroads America series pair colorful, dramatic illustrations--most, but not all, period--with easily digested narratives divided into one- or two-page topical segments. Halpern traces the construction and influence of the transcontinental railroad, providing glimpses of everything from train robbers and travel aboard first-class Pullman and last-class "Zulu" cars to the railroads' effects on emigration. Focusing on just a few major battles, Rosen views the American Revolution as a kind of civil war, lucidly showing how a combination of military mismanagement and persistent misjudgment of their opponents caused the British to lose the war. Both authors consider the contributions of women and minority groups, tuck numerous pithy quotes into side boxes, and close with short glossaries. Aside from a pair of URLs on the back flaps, there are no further resources, and Rosen misleadingly labels two famous paintings of Washington "primary sources," but these titles effectively give young readers overviews of pivotal events, as well as food for thought. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: National Geographic Kids
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792267672
• ISBN 13: 9780792267676
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40