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Jan 13, 2009

Chandra rated it:

It always feels a little pointless to write yet another positive review for a book like this that is so universally loved. But here goes. I actually saw the movie before reading the book. The movie is just okay - a little lifeless. I really wish I had read the book first. It's a very different little story - much simpler, more room for imagination. It's just a really sweet and poignant story about holding on to the magic of childhood. And it just so happens the illustrations are really to More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jan 18, 2011

Ranee rated it:

I wanted to hear the bell ring too. For one brief moment, I also wanted to have one of Santa's sleigh bell and let it ring then listen to it across decades.
I am too old to ride the Polar express but I'll never tire of Christmas! This Picture book reminds us of that magic that Christmas morning brings. The wonderful cooking of our mother , those waking moments when we run towards our Christmas stockings just to check what Santa has brought for us.
This book contains magic, the North pol More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 11, 2008

Linda rated it:

I collect Christmas books and would eagerly scour the shelves for the newest stories each season, but for whatever reason I did not buy nor read The Polar Express - it just did not appeal to me. Then in 1987 I took my two daughters to Seattle via Amtrak to attend Maurice Sendak's stage setting of the Christmas classic The Nutcracker. Before going to the ballet, the girls and I spent an afternoon at a Christmas exhibit at the University of Washington and chanced to happen upon an older gentlem More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 06, 2009

Amanda rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 30, 2008

Jennifer rated it:

My general opinion of Chris Van Allsburg is that his books are made to appeal to adults, not children. None of his books has ever been a favorite of my children. This book is a perfect example. The overall story has potential--a Christmas Eve train that takes Santa-believing children to the North Pole to witness the ritual of Santa giving the first gift of Christmas. But page after page of illustration focuses on the landscape the train travels. When the Polar Express arrives at the North P More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Feb 08, 2012

Olivia rated it:

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg was a cute book. It was about a boy on late Christmas Eve who gets on this magical train that takes him to the North Pole where he receives a special gift from Santa himself. I liked that this book had something that was significant to the main character. The idea to have the bell only make noise to the people who believe in Santa was a brilliant idea. I personally think that made the story that much better. I know the book is called The Polar Express, but More...

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Feb 07, 2012

Ashley rated it:

I loved this book and I always have! My favorite part of the book is the significance of the silver bell. The bell was a gift to the little from Santa. He received the gift when the Polar Express train picked him up and took a train full of children to th North Pole to meet Santa. After Santa gave the little boy a silver bell from his sleigh, the bell fell through a hole in the boy's pocket. On Christmas morning, there was a small gift under the boy's tree and when he opened the present, the sil More...

1 comment like

Feb 05, 2012

Germaine (Marie) rated it:

First of all, the book is a traditional holiday classic. The color scheme used has a lot of yellow, depicting light and sources of happiness in the book. For example, the windows of the train had lights, inside the train were children eating and being merry, the North Pole was full of lights, where Santa and his elves live and work to make toys - happiness galore. Santa always wears red, depicting warmth and attention - he is the big guy giving out gifts. This book used borders for the effect of More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Alisha rated it:

This is about a young boy waiting for the sound of Santa Clause on Christmas Eve. A friend told him he would never hear that sound. But instead of hearing Santa Clause, he hears a train pulling up in front of his house. He gets on the train and there are lots of other children with their pajamas on too. The conductor tells him they are going to the North Pole to visit Santa. And Santa will be giving the gift of Christmas to one of the children tonight. When they get to the North Pole, he sees Sa More...

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Jan 23, 2012

Melissa rated it:

Initially looking at this book, the font is very formal and the illustrations are beautifully drawn with deep, dreamy colors. These elements both suggest the warm and serious tones of the book. As you read the story, the vivid imagery and profound illustrations instill a peaceful, familiar feeling within the reader, reminding them of childhood memories pertaining to the excitement and mystery of Santa Claus. The text of the story is separated by white spaces apart from the illustrations in order More...

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Dec 21, 2011

Gmr rated it:

Read aloud by yours truly with inflection, voice changes for the various characters, and sound effects (I wore a jingle bell bracelet….helped with the bells on the reindeer….), it went over rather well. Imagine my surprise though when I discovered a few differences between the print and visual versions! O-O Okay, so I really wasn’t THAT surprised, I mean it happens ALL the time, but lets discuss them anyway, okay? First off, there’s really only one main character…not three. You remember the litt More...

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Dec 02, 2011

Arlene rated it:

So here’s a little something about me… there are two movies I love.love.love to watch around the holidays. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone and The Polar Express. Yes, I’m a kid at heart and there’s just something about those two movies that, for me, make it feel like Christmas.

I think it was around the holidays several years ago that I went out shopping during Black Friday (yes call me crazy) and bought my first HP movie for the low price of like $3! And, I’ve watched the movie More...

6 comments like (7 people liked it)

Oct 30, 2011

Brittany rated it:

The Polar Express is a picturebook intended for Primary readers. Chris Van Allsburg is both author and illustrator and won The Caldecott Medal for his work in 1986.
The story takes place on Christmas Eve, which is easy the most magical night of the year for many children. The story is simply told and could easily become a holiday tradition in many households.
The story and artwork of Chris Van Allsburg are amazing. A wonderful book for adults and children alike. There is a mystical q More...

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Oct 03, 2011

Sarah rated it:

Chris van Allsburg's "The Polar Express" tells the magical story of a train that arrives at a young boy’s doorstop on Christmas Eve. The train travels "through cold, dark forests" and "climbed [climbs] mountains" until it reaches the North Pole. The boy is chosen to receive "the first gift of Christmas," a bell from Santa's sleigh. On the train ride home, all the other children asked to see the bell, but the boy realizes that he has a hole in his pocket More...

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Sep 27, 2011

Melissa rated it:

The Polar Express
By Chris Van Allsburg

Genre: Other/Fantasy

The Polar Express is the story of a young boy and his belief in Santa Clause. The boy takes a magical trip to the North Pole where he is selected to be the recipient of the first Christmas present. He wants a bell from the reindeer’s harness. After he returns home, the boy discovers he has lost his gift. Christmas morning his sister finds one last gift under the tree. It is the bell that he lost! The boy’s parents More...

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Sep 24, 2011

Katelynn added it

This book is about a young boy whose friends tell him that Santa does not exist. On Christmas Eve he experiences something amazing. A train called the polar express pulls up outside his house and he gets on. Many other children were on board and the train was just magical. It took them to the North Pole. When they got there, they got to meet Santa and he gave the boy a present. It was silver bell. The boy loved the gift and he put it in his pocket for safe keeping. Upon returning to the polar ex More...

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Sep 13, 2011

Meghan rated it:

The Polar Express is a wonderfully uplifting story about keeping your inner child for as long as you can. The unnamed little boy is going to bed on Chirstmas Eve and sees the Polar Express pull up outside of his house. He gets on the train and is told by the conductor that they are headed to the North Pole. After a journey to the north, they are told that Santa Claus will pick one child to get the "Frist Gift of Christmas". Our little boy is picked and asks Santa for a silver be More...

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Sep 12, 2011

Jen rated it:

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is an awesome book that really captures the idea of fantasy and being a kid. It starts out with a boy who wakes up in the middle of a cold, winter night and climbs aboard an old fashioned steam engine train. Once he entered, he met so many new girls and boys that they go on a long journey on train to the North Pole. There, they meet Santa and his elves and Santa gave the boy a special gift. It did not seem like much, a small jingly bell, but the boy really More...

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Feb 14, 2011

Zackery rated it:

The Polar express is a magical story with captivating visuals that leave the reader wanting more. With each turn of a page comes a new and exciting illustration that trully captures the essence ans beauty of what it was like to be a small child believing in Santa Clause. The wrap around cover provides an interesting picture of a large train and a child entering in the back that makes the reader question what the story will be about. The color scheme of the book contained a tremendous amout of br More...

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Jan 29, 2011

Will rated it:

A young boy is awakened from his Christmas Eve rest by a train that magically appears just outside his home. Ignoring the demands of stranger-danger, the boy climbs aboard, finding the car filled with other youngsters. They are treated to goodies while en route to the north pole where Santa is to offer the first gift of Christmas to one of the passengers in a town-square ceremony attended by all the elves as well as the transported youngsters. Our hero is selected, and when asked what he would l More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 29, 2010

Jamie rated it:

In this classic tale of belief and faith in the unknown, a young boy boards a train to the North Pole. The train is going to take him to visit Santa Clause. When the boy meets Santa Clause, he asks if he can have one of the bells on from a reindeer’s harness. On the way home, the boy looses the bell. Miraculously, the bell is under the Christmas tree the next morning. Only those who believe in the magic of Santa Clause can hear the jingling of the bell.
This book has received endless pr More...

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May 31, 2010

Jessica rated it:

Spoiler Alert! There is no Santa. I remained willfully ignorant of this fact until I was 12. Yes, 12.

My friends in elementary school would regularly try to persuade me otherwise. I was not convinced. Or I talked myself out of being convinced. Nothing good could come of admitting their arguments were sound as far as I was concerned: Were my parents lying to me? Would I still like to fall asleep looking at the white lights on the Christmas tree in our front room on Pembleton Place More...

1 comment like

Aug 17, 2009

Jessicca rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Sep 20, 2011

Sarah rated it:

This is a story i believe most people have read and reread over and over again especially at Christmas time. This story shows the importance of friendship and never giving up even when times are hard. i love how this story points out how many adults as well as children stop believing in fairy tales such as Santa Clause. I also like how the pictures were so perfect and detailed. When i would see the snow on the page, it would make me feel like i was actually there in the winter time and feeling t More...

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Feb 19, 2011

Robert rated it:

Chris Van Allsburg is one of my favorite authors. I picked up on his works when I was in graduate school and feel immediately for his storytelling. Obviously, this is one of the biggies. I used to read this yearly to my students the day before the Christmas break. In the goodie bags (usually a porceline Santa mug or some such holiday design), there was always a silver bell. The students reveled with such delight.

Then the movie came out. Movies spoil the magic of the classroom. I More...

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Feb 14, 2011

Erica rated it:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it had beautiful illustrations and dealt with one of my favorite subjects, Christmas. VanAllsbusg created a timeless classic about a much debated topic: the existence of Santa Claus. This story is great for children of all ages as it encourages them to believe, in this case in Santa Claus, no matter how old they are or how many others disbelieve. While Santa is the belief in which children are encouraged to hold on to, I believe the book intends to convey a broa More...

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Feb 03, 2012

Traci rated it:

This is such a classic, amazing book! I have read this every year around Christmas time ever since I can remember. It is such an awesome children's book, because what child wouldn't want to be taken to the North Pole on Christmas Eve? It is so easy for kids to get wrapped up in it because they wish it was them and want to see what happens to the boy and all the adventures that he gets sucked in to. This is a great book, even not around Christmas time. It has so many exciting parts, like when the More...

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Dec 22, 2011

Abby rated it:

Along with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Christmas Miracle Of Jonathan Toomey Gift Set, and A Christmas Carol (wow. I just noticed that all three of those books have practically the same story.), this is one of my favorite christmas books. It has all of the necessary ingredients for a great book: a good story, a well-written story, and excellent, masterpiece-quality illustrations. The book is full of mystery and magic and imagination; it's an adventure that I want for myself, an adventure More...

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Sep 22, 2011

Nichole rated it:

I love this book, "The Polar Express". It takes you back with a sense of nostalgia to the days of being a kid again, and takes you into the true Christmas spirit, even if you are reading in the middle of July. Chris Van Allsburg does an excellent job using descriptions and metaphors and the like to create the imagery of taking a ride on the polar express, and of seeing the North Pole. This could be a great book to base lessons on using descriptive writing off of.The pictures themselve More...

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Oct 12, 2010

Jeff rated it:

I hate The Polar Express.

I don't so much dislike Chris Van Allsburg, although I consider him complicit. I think Bad Day at Riverbend is a top 5 picture book for me, and his art style is great, and he can often tell a fun story (last year's Probuditi a great example).

But holy crap do I hate The Polar Express.

It's like Love You Forever - tacky, sentimental pap designed to get you to shed a tear or tug on your heartstrings or whatever. The damn bell! The whole thing ju More...

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