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On My Own History
Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express
Kate stared at the rickety wooden bridge. There were boards loose on its narrow walkway. There was no railing to hold on to. She was afraid to cross this bridge even in daylight. But she had to cross it now. She had to get to the train station in time to stop the midnight express. When a heavy storm destroyed the bridge over Honey Creek, near Kate Shelley's home in Moingona, Iowa, fifteen-year-old Kate bravely rushed out into the storm, saving the lives of two men and preventing hundreds of other lives from being lost. This is the true story of a young girl's resourcefulness and courage in the face of great danger.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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227 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 3, 2022
What a remarkable little story! Loved it.... a quick, heartwarming tale of bravery and courage. Would be an ideal book to be in schools sure as it is a true story, easy to read, as well as wholesome/sensible one as well.
March 6, 2016
I'm fairly sure that this book is the reason that I grew up scared of bridges. And trains. I was also scared of the vacuum cleaner, but that's neither here nor there.
May 14, 2009
In 1881 in Iowa, a severe storm washed out a railroad bridge near Kate Shelley's home. Knowing that the Midnight Express would be coming, Kate races against time to try and save the train from certain destruction. A real page turner that is a true story!
This is another Reading Rainbow book that is great for children because it tells the true story of a child heroine.
This is another Reading Rainbow book that is great for children because it tells the true story of a child heroine.
July 12, 2016
This one must have been from when I was about seven, because it's one of my foggier memories. I've been fascinated with trains ever since.
May 6, 2021
Every Iowa grade schooler is told this story.
April 10, 2022
this is an interesting historical and adventure book, with a strong female character. Recommended for its historical value.
April 11, 2022
I think I read this in the late 1990s/early 2000s; it was a Reading Rainbow book and a high interest early chapter book about young Kate Shelley who braves a storm to stop a train and save its' passengers. If you cannot find a copy of the book, here is a link to the Reading Rainbow episode.
April 11, 2019
A fun complimentary Reading Rainbow episode lines up amazingly.
August 6, 2013
This is a true story of a girl who saved many lives during a raging storm in Iowa in 1881.
Kate Shelley lived with her mother and younger siblings on a farm in Iowa. Their house overlooked the railroad line which ran over a bridge built on top of Honey Creek river.
On July 6th, 1881, a terrible storm raged and hit the Des Moines River valley. Rain poured all day long. Kate and her family watched as the river water kept rising in the Honey Creek. And soon enough the river flooded the banks and the yard.
Kate ran to help the barn animals. She let the horses go to higher grounds and rescued the piglets and led them indoors into their house. But the rain kept pouring. Flood water kept creeping closer to their house. It was dark outside now and when the lightning flashed, Kate could see the rail tracks shining in the light. But she wondered about how the bridge itself was holding up in the storm?
As the family sat down for dinner, Kate voiced her concerns. Kate knew that the Midnight Express would pass through Moingona station (near her house) and it would not stop there. She knew that it would cross the bridge over Honey Creek bridge. But was the bridge safe enough?
Shortly after 11:00pm, Kate and her mother heard the railroad men coming by on an engine to check whether the tracks and the bridges were safe for the Midnight Express. Suddenly, Kate heard a terrible crack and a splash. She knew that the bridge had broken!
Kate knew that the engine and the railroad men had fallen into the raging river. She knew that she simply had to go and get help to save the men. Not just that, now that the bridge had gone under, she must find a way to stop the Midnight Express carrying large number of passengers from passing the Moingona station.
But will she be able to get there in time? And how will she be able to navigate the thundering storm and pouring rain to get to the station? Kate must fight wind, rain and darkness and make her way over another bridge to get to the station.
This true story about bravado and courage of a 15 year old girl, should be a read aloud in every household! Written in simple narrative, the story is easy to understand for young readers. This is a great story to talk about character development and teach about personality traits. It also makes a great conversation starter for teaching children about all the other people who build their careers around saving lives.
DD and I loved reading this story. We discussed what we could do in times of emergencies and we also talked about how we could help others during trying times.
So many lessons from one true story!
Kate Shelley lived with her mother and younger siblings on a farm in Iowa. Their house overlooked the railroad line which ran over a bridge built on top of Honey Creek river.
On July 6th, 1881, a terrible storm raged and hit the Des Moines River valley. Rain poured all day long. Kate and her family watched as the river water kept rising in the Honey Creek. And soon enough the river flooded the banks and the yard.
Kate ran to help the barn animals. She let the horses go to higher grounds and rescued the piglets and led them indoors into their house. But the rain kept pouring. Flood water kept creeping closer to their house. It was dark outside now and when the lightning flashed, Kate could see the rail tracks shining in the light. But she wondered about how the bridge itself was holding up in the storm?
As the family sat down for dinner, Kate voiced her concerns. Kate knew that the Midnight Express would pass through Moingona station (near her house) and it would not stop there. She knew that it would cross the bridge over Honey Creek bridge. But was the bridge safe enough?
Shortly after 11:00pm, Kate and her mother heard the railroad men coming by on an engine to check whether the tracks and the bridges were safe for the Midnight Express. Suddenly, Kate heard a terrible crack and a splash. She knew that the bridge had broken!
Kate knew that the engine and the railroad men had fallen into the raging river. She knew that she simply had to go and get help to save the men. Not just that, now that the bridge had gone under, she must find a way to stop the Midnight Express carrying large number of passengers from passing the Moingona station.
But will she be able to get there in time? And how will she be able to navigate the thundering storm and pouring rain to get to the station? Kate must fight wind, rain and darkness and make her way over another bridge to get to the station.
This true story about bravado and courage of a 15 year old girl, should be a read aloud in every household! Written in simple narrative, the story is easy to understand for young readers. This is a great story to talk about character development and teach about personality traits. It also makes a great conversation starter for teaching children about all the other people who build their careers around saving lives.
DD and I loved reading this story. We discussed what we could do in times of emergencies and we also talked about how we could help others during trying times.
So many lessons from one true story!
March 1, 2018
Awesome! I love history and this one is amazing in describing an event that happened just 20 minutes from our home. I liked this story also because it is easy to read. I am helping a young mother who wants to improve her English, and her vocabulary is limited. This book is written in a way that it will not offend an adult learning to speak and/or read English. While we were reading this book, I got out my computer and looked up the location of Moingona, Iowa, and other important facts from the story. At the end we looked at YouTube videos of Kate Shelley's life. This book helped generate discussion and lead to more investigating of Kate's history.
April 25, 2019
Kate stared at the rickety wooden bridge. There were boards loose on its narrow walkway. There was no railing to hold on to. She was afraid to cross this bridge even in daylight. But she had to cross it now. She had to get to the train station in time to stop the midnight express. When a heavy storm destroyed the bridge over Honey Creek, near Kate Shelley's home in Moingona, Iowa, fifteen-year-old Kate bravely rushed out into the storm, saving the lives of two men and preventing hundreds of other lives from being lost. This is the true story of a young girl's resourcefulness and courage in the face of great danger.
October 4, 2014
This is a Reading Rainbow book, about 3rd grade reading level, that I first read when my daughter was little. The author had such a great idea to take a snippet of news from a 1870s newspaper and recreate it in a vivid way. It impressed me more than my daughter because I read it at a time when I was doing genealogical research on my husband's family, who lived in Iowa at the same time. His great-great grandmother was the same age as Kate Shelley and may well have read about her heroism that saved a train full of passengers from destruction.
February 5, 2014
This true story took place in Iowa in the late 1800's. Kate Shelley is the heroine who did many brave things to save people when a flood washed away a bridge over Honey Creek. Kate is a likeable character because she seems fearless. The best part of the book is when she said that she had to try to save people because she imagined what it would feel like if her father was the one who needed help that night. The story will make more sense to you if you some background knowledge on sending telegraphs.
July 3, 2019
We just visited this historical area today and we are going to make a day learning experience of it with our kids. Can't wait to read the book to the kids...and then have a tour through the museum and hike through this area. What a wonderful story about a tragic night where a young girl becomes a HERO. Kate Shelley is a true testament to this. I can't wait to introduce her true story to my kids.....
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October 28, 2015I love Kate Shelley! The story is simple but gripping, and the illustrations are beautiful. We bought this book in 2004 for our daughter, when we were at a homeschool convention and found a vendor who sold used books. It has been a family favorite ever since.
Read my full review here.
September 30, 2020
A thrilling telling of a true story that I knew nothing about. Read as part of a reading through the USA program for Iowa. Illustrations added to the story. Conveyed the danger and bravery without being too scary for going readers/listeners. I felt the ending was done in a peculiar manner. It almost seems to drop you out of the story abruptly. Really must read the authors note in the beginning and afterword at the end to feel like you get the most out of the story.
January 17, 2011
This is a dramatic and suspenseful true story that tells of a young girl who saves the lives of 200 train passengers as well as two men who crash their engine while checking out the railroad tracks. It's a serious tale, but inspiring too, and the illustrations complement the story nicely. Our girls enjoyed listening to this story read on audiocassette during our Thanksgiving road trip.
November 14, 2016
Ok as an Iowan named Kate I am totally biased about this story. Still this book shows us all what a true hero is, someone who does what needs to be done even when it endangers them. I read this book as a child and thought Kate was the coolest. I have also seen the bridge she crossed. It was high and long. Yeah, her trip was not easy.
August 1, 2019
I've read a lot of books in my life. Over the years, I've forgotten titles and confused various plots. This book, however, is one that I have never forgotten. I devoured it when I was young and even today, I can remember particularly resonating quotes from it. It's probably a reason why I'm so fascinated by history. I just wish that there was more information available on Kate Shelley.
October 19, 2010
I'm not gonna lie... I teared up reading this book. It is a very touching and well told story but it brought back a lot of personal memories as well. My son was very impressed too. Thanks Bert and Coaster :) I hope we can make the trip next year.
March 1, 2013
Excellent true story of a young adult with an incredible amount of courage. The book contained several answered prayers and interventions from God. Very inspiring! It is an easy reader, maybe appropriate for grades 1-2.
January 31, 2023
Kate Shellly has to stop the midnight express from falling into a broken bridge. She has to be a brave person to go trough another bridge which had missing wood. Can she save the 200 people on board at the midnight express?
September 28, 2017
This story (not by this author) was in a reading book years ago, and I couldn't remember what the girl's name was or anything. That version of the story didn't say she was famous or anything. (Trust curriculum writers to take out most useful information.) Glad I found out more about this now.
October 24, 2020
My 6 year old grandson is obsessed with this book. After reading it at school, he asked me to get the book from the library so we could read it together. It helps that we are from Iowa, where this true story took place, and his dad and he watched a documentary on TV about it.
May 15, 2024
Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express, by Margaret K. Wetterer, c. 1990, is the story of a true American heroine. It is part of a series called "On My Own History," comprised of 33 stories for young readers.
An author's note in the front of the book tells a bit of Kate Shelley's back story: born in Ireland, she came to America as an infant. She was oldest in a family of five children, who suffered the early death of their father and the drowning death of a young brother, after which the mother was never the same. At the tender age of 14, Kate Shelley was the de-facto head of her family, taking care of her younger siblings and running the farm. When a terrible storm hit the Des Moines River valley and lives hung in the balance, Kate courageously faced danger and went out alone into the night to do what she believed was her duty.
Simple text geared toward young readers (7-10 years old) tells how Kate helped her family's farm get ready for the big storm. It was already dark when the family heard the train engine checking the safety of the nearby tracks - and then they heard a terrible crack as the train fell through the bridge that had washed away in the floodwaters! Kate knew she had to get to the train station and warn the next train that the bridge was out. It was the midnight express train with hundreds of people aboard.
Although she could hear the rush of floodwaters, and the wind blew out her lantern, Kate forged ahead. At one point she had to cross the flooded river on a narrow train track. Some boards were missing. There was no handrail to hold. Kate went to her knees and began to crawl across the bridge. Nails and splinters cut her hands and knees. Huge trees and logs carried by the flood waters bumped against the bridge. If she didn't reach the station in time, she risked being hit by the fast-moving express train. But she made it in time - Drenched, in torn and muddy clothes, she gasped out her message to the men at the station who were able to stop the express. Kate also led a rescue party back upstream to rescue the crew of the engine that had fallen from the broken bridge.
An afterword tells how the whole nation honored Kate's bravery. But her favorite reward came from her friends at the railroad - whenever she rode the train, they always stopped right in front of her house and let her off at home!
An author's note in the front of the book tells a bit of Kate Shelley's back story: born in Ireland, she came to America as an infant. She was oldest in a family of five children, who suffered the early death of their father and the drowning death of a young brother, after which the mother was never the same. At the tender age of 14, Kate Shelley was the de-facto head of her family, taking care of her younger siblings and running the farm. When a terrible storm hit the Des Moines River valley and lives hung in the balance, Kate courageously faced danger and went out alone into the night to do what she believed was her duty.
Simple text geared toward young readers (7-10 years old) tells how Kate helped her family's farm get ready for the big storm. It was already dark when the family heard the train engine checking the safety of the nearby tracks - and then they heard a terrible crack as the train fell through the bridge that had washed away in the floodwaters! Kate knew she had to get to the train station and warn the next train that the bridge was out. It was the midnight express train with hundreds of people aboard.
Although she could hear the rush of floodwaters, and the wind blew out her lantern, Kate forged ahead. At one point she had to cross the flooded river on a narrow train track. Some boards were missing. There was no handrail to hold. Kate went to her knees and began to crawl across the bridge. Nails and splinters cut her hands and knees. Huge trees and logs carried by the flood waters bumped against the bridge. If she didn't reach the station in time, she risked being hit by the fast-moving express train. But she made it in time - Drenched, in torn and muddy clothes, she gasped out her message to the men at the station who were able to stop the express. Kate also led a rescue party back upstream to rescue the crew of the engine that had fallen from the broken bridge.
An afterword tells how the whole nation honored Kate's bravery. But her favorite reward came from her friends at the railroad - whenever she rode the train, they always stopped right in front of her house and let her off at home!
December 14, 2025
One stormy July night in 1881, a fifteen-year-old Iowa farm girl named Kate Shelley risked her life to warn the nearest train station that the trestle bridge near her home had collapsed under the weight of one of the steam engines, bringing help to the engine men trapped in the water, and preventing further disaster. Her route took her across the Des Moines River Bridge, where she had to crawl from cross-tie to cross-tie in the dark and wind, with rain lashing her and flood waters just below. But her bravery helped to save lives, and she became a heroine to both her state and the nation...
Published in 1990 as part of Carolrhoda Books' On My Own History series, a collection of non-fiction tales for beginning readers, Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express is the first book I have read from author Margaret K. Wetterer, and the third from illustrator Karen Ritz. Apparently Wetterer would go on to explore the story of Kate Shelley again in 2010, in The Midnight Adventure of Kate Shelley, Train Rescuer , which is part of the History's Kid Heroes series. As it happens, I just yesterday read another book on this subject—Robert D. San Souci and Max Ginsburg's picture book, Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend —which was my first exposure to this amazing story. I requested both the San Souci and the Wetterer from the library at the same time, and am glad to have read both. While I think I prefer the latter, from a storytelling and artistic standpoint, I nevertheless enjoyed this one as well, and think that with its simpler text it would make an excellent introduction to the subject for beginning readers who are getting going on their own. I can certainly see why it was chosen as a Reading Rainbow title! I will have to see if I can track down that episode and watch it. Recommended to beginning readers who enjoy biography and/or stories about brave young people making a difference.
Published in 1990 as part of Carolrhoda Books' On My Own History series, a collection of non-fiction tales for beginning readers, Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express is the first book I have read from author Margaret K. Wetterer, and the third from illustrator Karen Ritz. Apparently Wetterer would go on to explore the story of Kate Shelley again in 2010, in The Midnight Adventure of Kate Shelley, Train Rescuer , which is part of the History's Kid Heroes series. As it happens, I just yesterday read another book on this subject—Robert D. San Souci and Max Ginsburg's picture book, Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend —which was my first exposure to this amazing story. I requested both the San Souci and the Wetterer from the library at the same time, and am glad to have read both. While I think I prefer the latter, from a storytelling and artistic standpoint, I nevertheless enjoyed this one as well, and think that with its simpler text it would make an excellent introduction to the subject for beginning readers who are getting going on their own. I can certainly see why it was chosen as a Reading Rainbow title! I will have to see if I can track down that episode and watch it. Recommended to beginning readers who enjoy biography and/or stories about brave young people making a difference.
January 31, 2023
Kate Shellly has to stop the midnight express from falling into a broken bridge. She has to be a brave person to go trough another bridge which had missing wood. Can she save the 200 people on board at the midnight express?
May 21, 2017
A picture book.
May 9, 2023
This is the true story of young Kate Shelley and her bravery in saving a passenger train during a storm in Iowa, not far from where I lived. It is an interesting true story of a brave young woman.
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April 27, 2017Based on a true story, Kate goes out in a terrible storm when she hears the bridge break. She rushes to get help, stop the oncoming express, and save the lives of the men in the water.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews