Electric Trains and Trolleys (1800-Present)

Gr 5–8—These books present a technology-focused history of the railroad. Each one is devoted to a specific period, and all are written by different authors, which results in an uneven quality. The three volumes that cover the earliest periods are the weakest, largely because their overly technical discussions about the evolution of steam power and railroad technology, usually without adequate illustration, will be difficult for students to understand, and they fail to fully explain how the Industrial Revolution was driving innovation and invention. The three that discuss the later periods fare better, because they include analysis of the societal and economic changes that the railroad created. There is some repetition among the titles. The authors treat their subjects objectively, and the books are illustrated with a mixture of period and contemporary photos and art and documented with chapter notes and bibliographies. These books do not improve on either Milton Meltzer's well-written Hear That Train Whistle Blow! (Random, 2004), a comprehensive single-title overview with an attractive layout, or Martin Sandler's livelier and people-centered titles in Oxford's "Transportation in America" series (2003). They add little to the field, and should be considered as supplemental report choices.—Mary Mueller, formerly at Rolla Junior High School, MO