The Last Rail (Odyssey (Smithsonian Institution).) - Softcover

Darice Bailer grew up in Rochester, New York with seven siblings and dreamed of becoming a writer. Today, she has written over 3 books for children. Her first book for Soundprints, Puffin's Homecoming: The Story of an Atlantic Puffin, received a 1993 Parent's Choice Award. Also a journalist for many years, she was a frequent contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Hartford Courant. She currently helps students and teachers at Old Greenwich School in Connecticut.

Grade 2-5. Ten-year-old Lucy is trying to snap a photograph of her friends in Railroad Hall of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History when suddenly she is transported back in time to the moment when the golden spike was driven at Promontory Summit, Utah. She has also been transformed into A.J. Russell, the photographer whose camera recorded this historic event. The book and tape are best used separately because the tape doesn't follow the book word-for-word and will cause confusion if used like a read-along. This set provides an overview of the history of the Transcontinental Railroad. Problems faced by the Chinese workers and issues related to Native Americans are very briefly mentioned. The sound quality of the tape is good. The narrator's voice is expressive, and background sounds lend an outdoor atmosphere. The illustrations in the book are richly textured and match the text well. The modern day scenes are brightly colored, while the scenes from the past are done in muted tones reminiscent of that era's sepia-toned or hand-tinted photographs. The time travel is a "hook" that young readers will find appealing. Those whose interest in this era is sparked could be encouraged to read Paul Goble's Death of the Iron Horse (Bradbury Press, 1987) for more of the Native American perspective on the railroad. A pleasant addition for school and public libraries.?Cynthia Ortiz, Lee Memorial Library, Allendale, NJ
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