Full Steam Ahead

by Faye Gibbons, Sherry Meidell (Illustrator)

A young boy and his grandpa ride on a steam locomotive chugging through Georgia one hot summer day.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[MissDziura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book Full Steam Ahead by Faye Gibbons is most approriate for readers in 1st-3rd grade. It tells of Sammy from Georgia who wants to be a train engineer when he grows up, even though he has never seen or been on a locomotive. Coincedentially, his grandpa comes by bringing news that the locomotive is about to pass through their town on its way North. Sammy goes by buggy with his grandpa to tell all of his neighbors that the train is coming. The story continues to describe the reactions of the townspeople and of Sammy once he sees a train. Students will not only like this book because of Sammy's excitement, but train enthusiasts will be able to share Sammy's emotions when he first sees the train. A nice read.

[Monica]

In this story the family is working on farm when Grandpa rides up in his wagon and announces that the first steam engine train to pass through Turkey Creek Georgia is arriving today. The family forgets their work in their excitement, and Sammy rides around with his grandfather to announce the arrival of the steam locomotive.
We all have memories of the excitement that comes along with experiencing something for the first time. Though some of us may take trains for granted, Faye Gibbons brings to life the excitement of the townsfolk as the steam engine passed through their town for the very first time.

Grade Level: First Grade and up
Classroom activity: lesson on how trains used to run compared to now, history of trains in the U.S.

[Saunders Awards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fantastically illustrated book gives a glimpse into rural life in the mid-19th century, and the wonder and excitement that high-speed transportation technology brought. Before phones and cars, the train was an amazing advance over horses for transporting news, mail, and commercial goods. For a small, isolated town to have a train stop at the time was very important, and could have been the driving factor for economic growth and prosperity for generations. This story lets today's children into that world. Terry Pratchett's novel, Raising Steam, would be a good follow-up for older readers.

[Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay. My son loves all things trains yet this was not exactly what he had in mind.

[Brittany & Kids · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids loved this one.