Come Ride the Rails with Smokestack Jack (Volume 1)

THE FUN OF FANTASY...THE ASSURANCE OF FACT... What does it take to reach the life summit you choose for yourself ? For Thomas Jefferson it was… and it is the same for me today... 1. Persistence 2. Persistence 3. Persistence! Here’s a “frolicking” way both to recall and learn new facts about American history that will warm your heart instead of provoking a snore! A book for all age groups, "Come Ride the Rails with Smoke- stack Jack," is about awesome years in America from the Revolution forward. As this author has concluded, imagination in the case of Apple’s Steve Jobs carried him through a fascinating life of creativity. It was en- hanced by truths borne out in American history. Read here the story of a youth suffering concussion after a bicycle accident and fantasizing in a coma about so many marvels he’d learned in his early years of life. Your imagination will be rewarded by seeing how virtual spirituality can be life-changing when you prep your mind to receive nuggets from history. Be not concerned whether your fantasy can become a lubri- cant to a rich life based on eternal truths. It will be. The youth’s mentor during his concussion is his alter ego, Smoke- stack Jack, a puppet who has lived forever in spiritual form. And would your imagination allow you to talk face to face in the spirit with George Washing- ton on a train owned by puppet Smokestack Jack? A woman dying of cancer in her late 70s “could not lay the manu- script aside.” A NASA engineer was so fascinated by his copy, he said “that’s an extraordinary story.” An ad executive who volunteered to read proof be- fore the publisher’s editor saw it, liked reading for the first time—or in part as a review—the lives of men and women like Washington, Franklin, Lin- coln, Madam Curie, Clara Booth Luce and Helen Keller. Join these folks in a read you’ll treasure from now on.

Come Ride the Rails with Smokestack Jack, by Don E. Shank, is a historical fantasy about a young boy named Larry and his encounter with a puppet named Smokestack Jack. Jack escorts Larry through the United States, teaching him the history behind the great nation as they experience adventures and travel into the wilderness on a train carrying other fascinating passengers. The narrative is framed by the story of Larry’s loss of his parents, his adoption by his Uncle Ben, and his accident. As he fades in and out of a coma, readers are also held captive as they wonder whether Larry will ever return to the real world. Shank builds emotion well, causing his readers to forget that certain characters are simply puppets and that Larry is merely dreaming. For instance, when the puppet Sophie becomes soaked in a downpour, Larry’s panic draws the reader in. Shank writes, “‘The dryness ... gotta get her dry, but the joint’s working,’ [Larry] breathed heavily aloud. ‘Need ointment for the eye sockets,’ he noted, ‘and the jaw and neck too.’” The blend of mental dialogue and physical description combine to create a tense and emotional scene. The premise of Shank’s plot is fascinating, and through vivid storytelling and an approachable tone, he creates a book that quickly engages the reader. In the description of Larry’s bike accident, Shank writes, “He hit the board hard, his front tire raising and striking a two-inch splinter on the way.” The quick, snappy vocabulary transports readers through the action and holds their attention. Three Stars (out of Five) --ForeWord Clarion Reviews