Module 3: Locomotive

Book Cover Image:

Book Summary:

 The story of the railroad is told in this story. The author provides historical evidence combined with scientific diagrams and vocabulary to invite students into the story of the railroad. From the beginning motivation of building transportation across the country to the effects it has on an actual family traveling to meet up with their loved ones, this book enables readers to see how the rails were built, how the trains function, and how it affects the country both economically as well as the opportunity it provided for citizens.

APA Reference of Book:

Floca, B. (2013). Locomotive. New York: NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:

My major impression of this book is that the writing is extraordinary. The amount of information provided in this text is one thing, but the combination of that with the poetic form it is written in provides a story unlike any other. The onomatopoeia and variance in form draw the reader's eye and attention. The illustrations provide a realistic perspective of what each piece of information looks like. The addition of graphs and further historical information is such a great addition and allows for further research for those students who want more. All in all, this book is a must for libraries in that it is the epitome of a cross-curricular resource. It could easily be used in multiple contents and could allow students a broader perspective of how things connect.

Professional Review:

Grades K-3. Floca follows up the acclaimed Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 (2009) with this ebullient, breathtaking look at a family’s 1869 journey from Omaha to Sacramento via the newly completed Transcontinental Railroad. The unnamed family is a launching point for Floca’s irrepressible exploration into, well, everything about early rail travel, from crew responsibilities and machinery specifics to the sensory thrills of a bridge rumbling beneath and the wind blasting into your face. The substantial text is delivered in nonrhyming stanzas as enlightening as they are poetic: the “smoke and cinders, / ash and sweat” of the coal engine and the Great Plains stretching out “empty as an ocean.” Blasting through these artful compositions are the bellows of the conductor (“FULL STEAM AHEAD”) and the scream of the train whistle, so loud that it bleeds off the page: “WHOOOOOOO!” Font styles swap restlessly to best embody each noise (see the blunt, bold “SPIT” versus the ornate, ballooning “HUFF HUFF HUFF”). Just as heart pounding are Floca’s bold, detailed watercolors, which swap massive close-ups of barreling locomotives with sweeping bird’s-eye views that show how even these metal giants were dwarfed by nature. It’s impossible to turn a page without learning something, but it’s these multiple wow moments that will knock readers from their chairs. Fantastic opening and closing notes make this the book for young train enthusiasts.

Reference: 

Review of Locomotive, by B. Floca. (2013). Booklist, 109(21). Retrieved from www.titlewave.com 

Library Uses:

This text could be used to teach students how non-fiction and poetry can combine to create something beautiful and helpful. This text could be broken into pieces to connect history, science, and language arts and could spill into a research or writing project where students take informational material on a given subject and write it in poetic form. (Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman could also be used in this activity)