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Train I Ride
4 starred reviews! "Heartbreaking, hilarious, and life-affirming" (Ami Polonsky, author of Gracefully Grayson and Threads ) Rydr is on a train heading east, leaving California, where her gramma can’t take care of her anymore, and traveling to Chicago, to live with an unknown relative. She brings with her a backpack, memories both happy and sad, and a box containing something very important. As Rydr meets her fellow passengers and learns their stories, her own story begins to emerge. It’s one of sadness and heartache, and one Rydr would sometimes like to forget. But as much as Rydr may want to run away from her past, on the train she finds that hope and forgiveness are all around her, and most importantly, within her, if she’s willing to look for it. From Publishers Weekly Flying Start author Paul Mosier comes a poignant story about a young girl’s travels by train from Los Angeles to Chicago in which she learns along the way that she can find family wherever she is. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Sharon Creech.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 24, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 347 reviews
July 16, 2018
A beautiful and emotional coming of age story with unexpected depth and wisdom. Rydr’s journey is heartbreaking but genuine. Moments of hope begin to shine through as she learns about character, self, and maintaining strength through adversity.
May 20, 2021
I didn't expect to like this anywhere near as much as I did. I thought it would be overly sentimental and happy/sad but I enormously enjoyed this story and it's wonderful characters.
A 13yr old girl is travelling on a train journey which will take several days (hard to imagine this in the UK but in the US evidently this can go on for some days) The train sounded fascinating to my UK ears, it has an upstairs!? It also has options of places to eat! This is a fascinating place for a story to happen as everyone is captive there for a few days and gets to know each other.
The 13 yr old girl who makes up the name of Ryder, has been through a lot. She is travelling to live with another relative and on her way she is coming to terms with the loss of several people who cared for her. She meets some great characters, I loved Neal, Dorothea and Tenderchunks.
Although this book did bring me to tears several times it was very uplifting. Ryder's memories flashed back to more difficult times but it always felt that things were moving on for the better. I really don't enjoy reading romance and often find it quite cringeworthy but when Rydr finds a kindred spirit and they become friends I found this part lovely, heartwarming and realistically written. I really wanted to make sure these two characters would stay in touch.
I loved the character of Neal and was so glad about the decision he made. I was hoping that perhaps Rydr could I hope they stay in touch.
It was great to see a vegetarian character, if vegetarians are 1 in 10 they are not proportionately represented in books!
I really liked the cover. I only paid proper attention to it after I had finished the book and then I noticed you could pick out characters and the illustrator had done a really good job. I would have loved to have seen a map of the journey as I couldn't quite picture where the train was going without looking at a map of America.
This is an absorbing and beautiful read, I read it in two halves, I couldn't put it down and stayed up way too late to finish! Looking forward to reading more by this author.
A 13yr old girl is travelling on a train journey which will take several days (hard to imagine this in the UK but in the US evidently this can go on for some days) The train sounded fascinating to my UK ears, it has an upstairs!? It also has options of places to eat! This is a fascinating place for a story to happen as everyone is captive there for a few days and gets to know each other.
The 13 yr old girl who makes up the name of Ryder, has been through a lot. She is travelling to live with another relative and on her way she is coming to terms with the loss of several people who cared for her. She meets some great characters, I loved Neal, Dorothea and Tenderchunks.
Although this book did bring me to tears several times it was very uplifting. Ryder's memories flashed back to more difficult times but it always felt that things were moving on for the better. I really don't enjoy reading romance and often find it quite cringeworthy but when Rydr finds a kindred spirit and they become friends I found this part lovely, heartwarming and realistically written. I really wanted to make sure these two characters would stay in touch.
I loved the character of Neal and was so glad about the decision he made. I was hoping that perhaps Rydr could I hope they stay in touch.
It was great to see a vegetarian character, if vegetarians are 1 in 10 they are not proportionately represented in books!
I really liked the cover. I only paid proper attention to it after I had finished the book and then I noticed you could pick out characters and the illustrator had done a really good job. I would have loved to have seen a map of the journey as I couldn't quite picture where the train was going without looking at a map of America.
This is an absorbing and beautiful read, I read it in two halves, I couldn't put it down and stayed up way too late to finish! Looking forward to reading more by this author.
August 16, 2016
There is a Portugese word, saudade, having to do with absence and melancholy, that unites happiness and sadness, happiness in the idea or memory of someone or something that is not there. To me, saudade is the comforting, aching sound of a distant train whistle in the middle of the night; it is the thought of paths taken and not taken, the knowledge of permanent incompleteness.
Train I Ride, the beautiful new novel by Paul Mosier, is all about saudade.
This is one of the very best middle grade books I have read in a long time. In its themes, plot, and main character, it reminds me of Dicey's Song (a nearly perfect book), but for all its painful moments is more gentle than that classic, more simply written, more soulful, and is often quite funny. Rydr is a twelve-year-old who knows that "lots of things that are worth seeing aren't happy things." With her mother and grandmother dead and her father unknown, she has tremendous pain in her life, yet she knows how to appreciate people and moments, whether they are sweet or ugly.
Paul Mosier impressed me in two major ways. The first is that he understands so much of how it is to be a girl, especially a troubled girl on her own. Rydr is in some ways very young, in other ways too old; she is in over her head and meets each challenge sometimes with bafflement and anger, other times with cleverness and humor. She has had enough (albeit minimal) trusted adults in her life that, refreshingly, she has learned to take good advice. The way Rydr has opportunities to put remembered advice to good use makes the novel's lessons wise without being preachy: it's all about survival, not goodness per se (though I want to be clear that Rydr is a naturally compassionate, generous person). The lives of girls are perilous, and I am grateful to Mosier for giving young readers actual information that they can think about and use. This is probably the most valuable reason to read Train I Ride.
My favorite reason to read the book, though, is that it is set almost entirely on a train. I read it because of the cover (congratulations to the cover artist, by the way, who has exactly expressed Mosier's story); the whole book is, in a way, a love poem to train culture. Mosier perfectly captures the generosity and congeniality of the long-distance train social atmosphere, indeed captures every detail of the Amtrak Southwest Chief. But the train is so much more than just an arbitrary setting, and so much more than a metaphor for a journey. Set in any other place, Rydr's tale would have been just another one in a thousand orphan stories, perhaps more gracefully told than the rest, but not genius. Set on the Amtrak, though...! I could write pages about all the different meaningful, wonderful ways the brilliant setting enriches the story. I'll only say here, though, that plot-wise, this story is all about Rydr meeting good people, and there are no better people than those you meet on the train, and no easier way to meet them than having to share a table. Mood-wise, and most wonderfully, the train evokes both haunting melancholy and hopefulness, the meeting place of past and future in an elongated present. It is the perfect place for Rydr, with all her limited resources, in the confines of the coaches, to be given the time to appreciate where she comes from and who she is, and choose who she wants to be.
I devoured this book in three and a half hours. It's brevity and simplicity are deceptive, though; there is a whole lot to this novel, a lot to appreciate and discuss. I'll be enthusiastically recommending it to adults and to kids age 8-13 (or older if they like shorter books and simpler language).
Train I Ride, the beautiful new novel by Paul Mosier, is all about saudade.
This is one of the very best middle grade books I have read in a long time. In its themes, plot, and main character, it reminds me of Dicey's Song (a nearly perfect book), but for all its painful moments is more gentle than that classic, more simply written, more soulful, and is often quite funny. Rydr is a twelve-year-old who knows that "lots of things that are worth seeing aren't happy things." With her mother and grandmother dead and her father unknown, she has tremendous pain in her life, yet she knows how to appreciate people and moments, whether they are sweet or ugly.
Paul Mosier impressed me in two major ways. The first is that he understands so much of how it is to be a girl, especially a troubled girl on her own. Rydr is in some ways very young, in other ways too old; she is in over her head and meets each challenge sometimes with bafflement and anger, other times with cleverness and humor. She has had enough (albeit minimal) trusted adults in her life that, refreshingly, she has learned to take good advice. The way Rydr has opportunities to put remembered advice to good use makes the novel's lessons wise without being preachy: it's all about survival, not goodness per se (though I want to be clear that Rydr is a naturally compassionate, generous person). The lives of girls are perilous, and I am grateful to Mosier for giving young readers actual information that they can think about and use. This is probably the most valuable reason to read Train I Ride.
My favorite reason to read the book, though, is that it is set almost entirely on a train. I read it because of the cover (congratulations to the cover artist, by the way, who has exactly expressed Mosier's story); the whole book is, in a way, a love poem to train culture. Mosier perfectly captures the generosity and congeniality of the long-distance train social atmosphere, indeed captures every detail of the Amtrak Southwest Chief. But the train is so much more than just an arbitrary setting, and so much more than a metaphor for a journey. Set in any other place, Rydr's tale would have been just another one in a thousand orphan stories, perhaps more gracefully told than the rest, but not genius. Set on the Amtrak, though...! I could write pages about all the different meaningful, wonderful ways the brilliant setting enriches the story. I'll only say here, though, that plot-wise, this story is all about Rydr meeting good people, and there are no better people than those you meet on the train, and no easier way to meet them than having to share a table. Mood-wise, and most wonderfully, the train evokes both haunting melancholy and hopefulness, the meeting place of past and future in an elongated present. It is the perfect place for Rydr, with all her limited resources, in the confines of the coaches, to be given the time to appreciate where she comes from and who she is, and choose who she wants to be.
I devoured this book in three and a half hours. It's brevity and simplicity are deceptive, though; there is a whole lot to this novel, a lot to appreciate and discuss. I'll be enthusiastically recommending it to adults and to kids age 8-13 (or older if they like shorter books and simpler language).
February 9, 2020
This is a beautifully written book and a brilliantly told story. It’s an extraordinary book and I’m putting it on my favorites shelf.
This is a children’s book about an almost 13 year old girl, narrated by her. I was completely invested in her character and her story and also in the stories/lives of some of the other characters in the book. As an eleven or twelve year old this book would have been lifesaving for me and I’d have loved it at ages nine and ten too.
This would have been a one day/one reading session book except that I started reading very late the evening before the day I finished it.
I cried at the end and felt like crying many times throughout the book. It’s a fantastic book for children ages 9-13. Adult alert: sensitive children and young children (under age 11) and the children who could most benefit (with experiences at all similar to the narrator) from reading this story or having it read to them, their adults might want to consider if its power would be helpful or detrimental. I would personally err on the side of recommending this book to most children. It would make a wonderful read aloud, both one to one and with groups.
We eventually learn the girl’s real last name but not her first name and that was fine, even though I wanted to know. I liked how the future is left open ended. I believe that this story is nearly perfectly told. At least I cannot think of anything different that would have improved the book. It is a terribly sad story but one that’s also funny and charming and hopeful and endearing. I love the brief on the train relationships and how meaningful and powerful they are and how they significantly impact everyone involved.
A top notch children’s book that most adults should be able to thoroughly enjoy.
I have positive feelings for trains. I was predisposed to enjoy this book. I loved riding trains when I was young. I rode the California Zephyr several times from Northern California to Chicago and back, a different route than the Southern California to Chicago this girl rides. I also rode other routes. This book inspired me to finally add a “trains” shelf and I don’t know why I hadn’t created a “trains” shelf before now. One of my first ever favorite books was The Little Engine That Could and I’m sure I’ll find plenty of books that belong on my new “trains” shelf.
“The best kind of people are people who feel, and who hold hope in their hearts. Even if it sometimes means being hurt and disappointed. Even if it always means being hurt and disappointed.”
“Lots of things that are worth seeing aren't happy things.”
This is a children’s book about an almost 13 year old girl, narrated by her. I was completely invested in her character and her story and also in the stories/lives of some of the other characters in the book. As an eleven or twelve year old this book would have been lifesaving for me and I’d have loved it at ages nine and ten too.
This would have been a one day/one reading session book except that I started reading very late the evening before the day I finished it.
I cried at the end and felt like crying many times throughout the book. It’s a fantastic book for children ages 9-13. Adult alert: sensitive children and young children (under age 11) and the children who could most benefit (with experiences at all similar to the narrator) from reading this story or having it read to them, their adults might want to consider if its power would be helpful or detrimental. I would personally err on the side of recommending this book to most children. It would make a wonderful read aloud, both one to one and with groups.
We eventually learn the girl’s real last name but not her first name and that was fine, even though I wanted to know. I liked how the future is left open ended. I believe that this story is nearly perfectly told. At least I cannot think of anything different that would have improved the book. It is a terribly sad story but one that’s also funny and charming and hopeful and endearing. I love the brief on the train relationships and how meaningful and powerful they are and how they significantly impact everyone involved.
A top notch children’s book that most adults should be able to thoroughly enjoy.
I have positive feelings for trains. I was predisposed to enjoy this book. I loved riding trains when I was young. I rode the California Zephyr several times from Northern California to Chicago and back, a different route than the Southern California to Chicago this girl rides. I also rode other routes. This book inspired me to finally add a “trains” shelf and I don’t know why I hadn’t created a “trains” shelf before now. One of my first ever favorite books was The Little Engine That Could and I’m sure I’ll find plenty of books that belong on my new “trains” shelf.
“The best kind of people are people who feel, and who hold hope in their hearts. Even if it sometimes means being hurt and disappointed. Even if it always means being hurt and disappointed.”
“Lots of things that are worth seeing aren't happy things.”
February 6, 2017
I want to hunt down this author. Paul Mosier makes me ashamed to call myself a writer because this is so well written and poetic that I gasped reading it.To say that this was an amazing book would be an understatement, it was deep, beautiful, and meaningful. As soon as I saw this book, I was attracted to it. It's one of those books that you just know is going to be good. If I had kids, I would read this book to them. The book is a serious pick me up, and I felt so hopeful reading it. Rydr has a real story, one that is sad and more commonplace than it should be, but she's a good kid. She still has hope even though she doesn't think that she should. Rydr and her story are so inspiring. She made me want to slap myself for complaining. Overall, I adored this story so much. I will probably be quoting it for the rest of my life.
March 22, 2017
A beautifully written road trip story. Emotional, charming and funny all at the same time. Wish I had something like this to read when I was young. It's not afraid to delve into difficult subjects but also capable of showing optimism. The literary infusion of Howl was superbly done, quite unexpected for a young reader novel. Loved all the characters, just the right length. Highly recommended!
October 24, 2020
Although thematically Paul Mosier’s Train I Ride does present much content that is depressing (or rather that could easily and majorly be saddening) and especially for a middle grade novel (a teenaged orphaned girl, whose mother died of a drug overdose and whose caregiver grandmother is now also deceased being sent by the authorities alone on a three day train ride across the USA to meet her new legal guardian, an elderly uncle she has never met) thankfully and appreciatively, author Paul Mosier (and in my opinion) absolutely manages to for one not make Train I Ride into a gratuitous sob fest of negativity (in other words, the issues protagonist and narrator Ryder must deal with are both realistically portrayed by Mosier and also from where I not overly exaggerated as is sadly so often the case with so called problem literature). And for two, and just as essentially, Ryder’s for her young age pretty heavy duty and traumatic life experiences are in Train I Ride also very much mitigated by the fact that throughout her train ride, erstwhile tough and with an artificially created hard shell of not caring, of being silent and curmudgeonly as a type of defence mechanism Ryder increasingly is able and willing to open up her heart and soul to both some of her fellow passengers and also to the train hands charged with making sure she safely arrives in a Chicago (discovering that she is a poet and that friendship is actually not that rare a thing, that therefore she should also be more trusting and open minded, more willing to take a chance with regard to the people around her).
Combined with a totally delightful and flowing writing style that not only shows Ryder’s first person narration both as strongly personal and totally age appropriate (with Ryder recounting her story and experiences in a voice that is clearly her own and teenaged and thankfully thus not Paul Mosier the author trying to artificially sound like a teenaged girl) but which to and for me also seems to imitate and capture the rolling, wheeling movement of Ryder’s train ride from Los Angeles to Chicago, with its ups and downs, with its peaks and valleys (with the Amtrak train externally being constantly on the go and edging ever closer to Chicago, but with Ryder also internally slowly meandering closer and closer to increased understanding, acceptance and trust), Train I Ride has indeed been one of my increasingly rare and treasured five star reads for me, and yes, Train I Ride I also do most highly and warmly recommended (and not only to the intended audience of in my opinion readers from about the age of eleven or so onwards but really for everyone).
Combined with a totally delightful and flowing writing style that not only shows Ryder’s first person narration both as strongly personal and totally age appropriate (with Ryder recounting her story and experiences in a voice that is clearly her own and teenaged and thankfully thus not Paul Mosier the author trying to artificially sound like a teenaged girl) but which to and for me also seems to imitate and capture the rolling, wheeling movement of Ryder’s train ride from Los Angeles to Chicago, with its ups and downs, with its peaks and valleys (with the Amtrak train externally being constantly on the go and edging ever closer to Chicago, but with Ryder also internally slowly meandering closer and closer to increased understanding, acceptance and trust), Train I Ride has indeed been one of my increasingly rare and treasured five star reads for me, and yes, Train I Ride I also do most highly and warmly recommended (and not only to the intended audience of in my opinion readers from about the age of eleven or so onwards but really for everyone).
July 16, 2023
Train I Ride was a beautiful, deeply moving book that I savored from beginning to end. It wasn't that kind of book that you can rush through every page and pick up a few words as you go, but you're still confused and dazed. This book was nothing like that. It was so engaging and I never wanted it to draw to a close. But when I did, I was so satisfied that it ended because of how breathtakingly beautiful it was. I'm surprised how this story only took place in 3 days, but it seemed much longer. I loved how Rydr changed in the course of 3 days. She had such an amazing personality that was very strong and couldn't be replaced. The characters she met were amazing in their own ways. This book was sad and silent but was loud and powerful and at times, hillarious. I would reccomend this book to everyone that likes a good story with all of the elements: happy, sad, angry, frightening, bittersweet, funny, and beautiful.
February 24, 2017
Editors, take note: You CAN publish a solid middle-grade novel full of complex characters and situations that is LESS THAN 200 PAGES. I laughed, I cried. Held back a star for a couple of scenes that stretched the definition of "realistic" fiction.
p. 32: "Everything here looks crazy, like it was drawn by Dr. Seuss. The plants and rocks, especially in the desert, look like they're from beneath the sea. They look like they were drawn to be silly."
p. 90: "My timeline stretches behind me, a chart of other people's mistakes and bad choices and sadness that put me in this seat on this train on this night."
p. 95: "I've never heard or seen the word but I'm sure I've felt it. The whole thing is like something I've always felt but could never understand."
p. 145: "Even before she died, I was always a motherless child"
p. 32: "Everything here looks crazy, like it was drawn by Dr. Seuss. The plants and rocks, especially in the desert, look like they're from beneath the sea. They look like they were drawn to be silly."
p. 90: "My timeline stretches behind me, a chart of other people's mistakes and bad choices and sadness that put me in this seat on this train on this night."
p. 95: "I've never heard or seen the word but I'm sure I've felt it. The whole thing is like something I've always felt but could never understand."
p. 145: "Even before she died, I was always a motherless child"
August 4, 2017
When a book makes me cry and think and consider reading beat poetry (which I hate), I have to give it five stars.
This book is not flawless, but it's beautiful. The writing, the characters, the journey. All beautiful. I hate to hear people say this book is too sad, because I think it's actually a very optimistic book. Rydr is so strong in the face of all she's gone through with her mother's addiction and death, not to mention being cared for by a stern grandmother who then also passes away.
This book is about resilience.
I have high hopes for it come Newbery time.
This book is not flawless, but it's beautiful. The writing, the characters, the journey. All beautiful. I hate to hear people say this book is too sad, because I think it's actually a very optimistic book. Rydr is so strong in the face of all she's gone through with her mother's addiction and death, not to mention being cared for by a stern grandmother who then also passes away.
This book is about resilience.
I have high hopes for it come Newbery time.
November 13, 2017
As I've written elsewhere, I'm extremely wary of books that are described as heartbreaking, poignant, tender, et al. Too often I feel that I'm being manipulated into tears as regularly happens in the movies with music. Happily, there are books thus described that DO work for me. Such a one is Paul Mosier's
Train I Ride
. The structure is that of a girl with a very sad past traveling on Amtrak to a new life. Over several days on the train she meets people, builds relationships. has a romance, and slowly reveals her complicated history. What makes this book work so well for me firstly is the lovely character development. There is, of course, Ryder, but -- as the book moves back and forth in time -- also her recently departed grandmother, Amtrak employee Dorothea who is looking out for her on the train, Neal at the train cafe, a caring school counselor, some scouts, and a kind crossword puzzler fellow-rider. I'd read that Allen Ginsberg's Howl featured in the story and was very skeptical, but it works beautifully and in a way that is necessary. Best of all is the sentence level writing which is a delight. Here's a taste: "It was comfortably dreadful." Glad to see this getting some Newbery buzz and hope this little post helps.
March 16, 2017
Definite Newbery contender
June 21, 2024
This was the first book I ever bought and the first book that ever made me cry. I think I was about 13 years old when I picked up this book from the library, and even today it still has an influence on my life.
Rydr is a 13-year-old girl (which may or may not have had an influence on my liking of the book) who is traumatized ,and, even though I hadn't gone through any of the experiences Rydr had gone through, I still felt kind of represented in a way? She was a 13-year-old girl who had these feelings and thoughts in a way I hadn't read about until then. I kind of felt like I understood her.
I also believe this book is officially the first "found family" book I ever read. (Unless you count Geronimo Stilton in Fantasia as "Found Family") I just remember crying my eyes out when they gave Rydr her birthday cake and when she states that the people in the train were her family. This should probably have warned me about my future love for "found family".
My love for poetry also definitely has its roots here. Even today, after about 5 years, I still look for lights in people's eyes to know if they're poets or not. It's one of my favorite things to see in people.
Finally, I'd like to thank Paul Mosier for knowing the true secret to having the best pancakes: butter. I was convinced for so long that "butter instead of oil" was something I invented, until I reread this book and realized I had just stolen this mindset.
This book will forever remain one of my all-time favorites; it has taught me so much about hope and learning that it's okay to feel all these emotions, and I'll forever be grateful I picked up this book from the library shelves.
“The best kind of people are people who feel, and who hold hope in their hearts. Even if it sometimes means being hurt and disappointed. Even if it always means being hurt and disappointed.”
Rydr is a 13-year-old girl (which may or may not have had an influence on my liking of the book) who is traumatized ,and, even though I hadn't gone through any of the experiences Rydr had gone through, I still felt kind of represented in a way? She was a 13-year-old girl who had these feelings and thoughts in a way I hadn't read about until then. I kind of felt like I understood her.
I also believe this book is officially the first "found family" book I ever read. (Unless you count Geronimo Stilton in Fantasia as "Found Family") I just remember crying my eyes out when they gave Rydr her birthday cake and when she states that the people in the train were her family. This should probably have warned me about my future love for "found family".
My love for poetry also definitely has its roots here. Even today, after about 5 years, I still look for lights in people's eyes to know if they're poets or not. It's one of my favorite things to see in people.
Finally, I'd like to thank Paul Mosier for knowing the true secret to having the best pancakes: butter. I was convinced for so long that "butter instead of oil" was something I invented, until I reread this book and realized I had just stolen this mindset.
This book will forever remain one of my all-time favorites; it has taught me so much about hope and learning that it's okay to feel all these emotions, and I'll forever be grateful I picked up this book from the library shelves.
“The best kind of people are people who feel, and who hold hope in their hearts. Even if it sometimes means being hurt and disappointed. Even if it always means being hurt and disappointed.”
Read
March 16, 2021#lezenuitdeschoolbieb 📚
★★★★★-boek van een kind uit klas 6
Voor kinderen die zich alleen voelen of graag meevoelen. Die met een zakdoek even weg willen kruipen in een hoekje op de bank onder een dekentje. Een mooi geschreven gevoelig verhaal. Bitterzoet.
11+
★★★★★-boek van een kind uit klas 6
Voor kinderen die zich alleen voelen of graag meevoelen. Die met een zakdoek even weg willen kruipen in een hoekje op de bank onder een dekentje. Een mooi geschreven gevoelig verhaal. Bitterzoet.
11+
'Ik word wakker en het is nog donker in het rijtuig, donker achter het gordijn voor het raam. We rijden langzaam door een plaatsje in het zuidoosten van Colorado. Felle schijnwerpers verlichten hoge graansilo's die witgeverfd zijn, en een coyote die de kleur van zand heeft kijkt ons na. Ik heb nog nooit een wezen gezien dat zo alleen is. Na de felle lichten is het donker van de lege ruimte erna nog donkerder, zoals de stilte die stiller is na een ruzie.'
November 22, 2020
Bittersweet coming-of-age story about an orphan named Rydr, thief, chronic liar and yet a survivor of so much abuse, you find yourself excusing her crimes and secretly hoping she gets away with things you would not tolerate in another teen her age. All but alone in the world, Rydr has just lost her Grandmother and is traveling east cross-country by train to meet an unknown relative she is going to be living with.
Rydr does not cry she tells us over and over again as she reminisces over her so far short, but nevertheless, hard-knock life. She may not, but I wanted to. I thought of my own daughters and could not imagine them in her place.
Because I read this EXCELLENT review by my GR's friend, Hilary, and both of my daughters have always loved trains, I got this book for my younger daughter for her birthday. She is currently a 20-something adult. I do not think I would have given it to her when she was Rydr's age (12/13) without discussing it with her afterwards. To me, it has the feel of a story about young people written for much older ones. But then I could be wrong. It has been awhile since I have read any YA.
It is a deeply moving story which will stay with me for a LONG time! Thanks Hilary!
Rydr does not cry she tells us over and over again as she reminisces over her so far short, but nevertheless, hard-knock life. She may not, but I wanted to. I thought of my own daughters and could not imagine them in her place.
Because I read this EXCELLENT review by my GR's friend, Hilary, and both of my daughters have always loved trains, I got this book for my younger daughter for her birthday. She is currently a 20-something adult. I do not think I would have given it to her when she was Rydr's age (12/13) without discussing it with her afterwards. To me, it has the feel of a story about young people written for much older ones. But then I could be wrong. It has been awhile since I have read any YA.
It is a deeply moving story which will stay with me for a LONG time! Thanks Hilary!
April 21, 2017
I adored reading this touching and unique story! Important note, it is a tear-jerker; it had me crying almost the entire second half. The book is beautifully constructed! It's poetic without being a poem, which is fabulous. The story follows a middle-school aged girl who is leaving behind her unfortunate home in one place to go to a situation possibly no better. This story is all about the journey, all about the train ride; and it's surprisingly a very satisfying ending even with that. I wish this book had been around when I was the Rydr's age; it's an excellent read for middle-grade students up through adults. Highly recommended!
September 2, 2017
For some reason, the tone and the arc of this book remind me a lot of Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. It is a touching, sometimes painful, sometimes resigned book. You sort of know what has happened and is going to happen, but the journey is worthwhile, anyway.
April 25, 2018
Een heel mooi boek over een treinreis vol met boeiende personages.
January 4, 2018
This was the last book I read in 2017, finishing it just before the new year rang in, and I think it's only fitting that I ended the year with a book that was one of the most beautifully written books I read all year. To say that this book moved me deeply would be a gross understatement. I had never heard of this author before, nor would I have been aware of this book had I not been a member of the Mock Newbery group here on goodreads. And that's what I love so much about goodreads. All of you that have become my friends here have opened my eyes to and introduced me to so many books and authors that I never would have found on my own. I sincerely thank you for that. Sometimes it's a book that one of you recommended to me, other times it's one of the reviews you've written, or one that you've posted as currently reading that catches my eye. So, again, thank you to all of you. I look forward to finding out what all of you are reading this year.
Now, back to the reason for this review. Rydr has had a tough life. She's spent her life battling all the challenges that life has thrown at her. The hand that she's been dealt hasn't been a good one, but she's strong and a survivor. When her parents overdosed on drugs she was sent to live with her old and crabby grandmother who barely took care of her. Now grandma has passed away and she's on a train headed across the country to live with a great uncle she's never met. It's a harrowing and emotional journey. She's angry and sad and alone. My heart just broke for this kid. I seriously just wanted to jump on that train and grab her and take her home with me, in a totally motherly and legal way of course. All she wants is a stable home and someone to love and care for her, but feels in her heart that life for her will never be more than sorrow and pain. What happens on the train with the people she meets who come to care for her made my heart happy, and a little misty eyed too. The journey they take together and how they affect and change each other's lives is so beautifully written. In the end this is ultimately an uplifting story of love, friendship, and family. It's also an emotional and deeply affecting story of triumph over adversity. This story is going to stay with me for a long time.
Now, back to the reason for this review. Rydr has had a tough life. She's spent her life battling all the challenges that life has thrown at her. The hand that she's been dealt hasn't been a good one, but she's strong and a survivor. When her parents overdosed on drugs she was sent to live with her old and crabby grandmother who barely took care of her. Now grandma has passed away and she's on a train headed across the country to live with a great uncle she's never met. It's a harrowing and emotional journey. She's angry and sad and alone. My heart just broke for this kid. I seriously just wanted to jump on that train and grab her and take her home with me, in a totally motherly and legal way of course. All she wants is a stable home and someone to love and care for her, but feels in her heart that life for her will never be more than sorrow and pain. What happens on the train with the people she meets who come to care for her made my heart happy, and a little misty eyed too. The journey they take together and how they affect and change each other's lives is so beautifully written. In the end this is ultimately an uplifting story of love, friendship, and family. It's also an emotional and deeply affecting story of triumph over adversity. This story is going to stay with me for a long time.
January 14, 2018
For a while, as I read this, I couldn't figure out what the fuss was about in the great reviews I'd read. It was a perfectly fine book, but I didn't see anything to draw such superlatives. Then the second half rolled in: Then I totally got it. So much feeling, so many happy and sad tears.
July 13, 2018
Rider is op weg naar een nieuw thuis en heeft al het nodige meegemaakt. In de trein komt ze mensen tegen die haar laten zijn wie ze is en waardoor zij zich na een paar dagen steeds beter gaat voelen. Het verhaal kwam wat traag op gang, maar het einde maakt dat weer helemaal goed.
August 25, 2017
Richie’s Picks: TRAIN I RIDE by Paul Mosier, Harper, January 2017, 192p., ISBN: 978-0-06-245573-4
“I’m sitting in a railway station
Got a ticket to my destination”
--Paul Simon, “Homeward Bound” (1966)
“Palm Springs is a place in the middle of an empty desert with gigantic mountains above it. It’s so hot in the summer I felt like I’d go up in a poof of smoke, and way up in the mountains above it, the snowy peaks would look down at me and laugh. There are mostly old retired people and nothing to do except play bingo and golf.
Gramma lived in what was pretty much the armpit of Palm Springs. Some days I hated it with all my heart.
But in spite of it not being such a wonderful place, and Gramma not being the warmest or the most entertaining person around, I wasn’t happy to leave it behind. It was what I knew--for two years, anyway. It was comfortably dreadful. And now I’m rolling away from it because Gramma can’t take care of me anymore.”
I love the exquisite timing of the reveals in TRAIN I RIDE. When the tale begins, we don’t know any more about the almost-thirteen-year-old narrator than the above. We don’t even know her name. But, with great understatement, she hands us one piece to the puzzle after another. Who is she? How has she gotten to this place and point in time? What’s happened to her Gramma and her parents? And, where is she now heading on this Amtrak train, chaperoned by Dorothea, a Southern accented Amtrak employee?
Given the mystery in which she is enshrouded, I am reluctant to give away any of the reveals. But as you’ll be able to see from the cover, she has green hair.
TRAIN I RIDE takes place entirely on the train. Technically, it’s a set of two trains and she periodically gets to step out for breaks along with the rest of the passengers. But the story is contained within the train where our young heroine is riding coach, having to sleep sitting up night after night.
The main character is so real that I’ll be wondering about her future for a long time to come. There are a series of other exceptionally well-drawn characters on board the train whom we and the main character come to know. In addition to the chaperone Dorothea, they include:
-- The Amtrak conductor, “a short guy who walks like a penguin.”
-- Neal, the “ridiculously good-looking” guy with the cleft chin, who works the snack counter.
-- “Tenderchunks,” a sandy-haired, poetry-loving Boy Scout, who is the target of the other Scouts’ mean spiritedness.
-- Carlos, the friendly old guy with the neatly-trimmed gray beard, who’s fond of crossword puzzles.
There’s also a broken SpongeBob watch and a heavy little black box.
An important character we hear much about but never meet is Dr. Lola, the school therapist back in Palm Springs, whose advice the protagonist recounts, trusts, and often tries to follow.
All of this makes TRAIN I RIDE a unique and extraordinary coming of age story about a resilient, green-haired tween who will capture your heart.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“I’m sitting in a railway station
Got a ticket to my destination”
--Paul Simon, “Homeward Bound” (1966)
“Palm Springs is a place in the middle of an empty desert with gigantic mountains above it. It’s so hot in the summer I felt like I’d go up in a poof of smoke, and way up in the mountains above it, the snowy peaks would look down at me and laugh. There are mostly old retired people and nothing to do except play bingo and golf.
Gramma lived in what was pretty much the armpit of Palm Springs. Some days I hated it with all my heart.
But in spite of it not being such a wonderful place, and Gramma not being the warmest or the most entertaining person around, I wasn’t happy to leave it behind. It was what I knew--for two years, anyway. It was comfortably dreadful. And now I’m rolling away from it because Gramma can’t take care of me anymore.”
I love the exquisite timing of the reveals in TRAIN I RIDE. When the tale begins, we don’t know any more about the almost-thirteen-year-old narrator than the above. We don’t even know her name. But, with great understatement, she hands us one piece to the puzzle after another. Who is she? How has she gotten to this place and point in time? What’s happened to her Gramma and her parents? And, where is she now heading on this Amtrak train, chaperoned by Dorothea, a Southern accented Amtrak employee?
Given the mystery in which she is enshrouded, I am reluctant to give away any of the reveals. But as you’ll be able to see from the cover, she has green hair.
TRAIN I RIDE takes place entirely on the train. Technically, it’s a set of two trains and she periodically gets to step out for breaks along with the rest of the passengers. But the story is contained within the train where our young heroine is riding coach, having to sleep sitting up night after night.
The main character is so real that I’ll be wondering about her future for a long time to come. There are a series of other exceptionally well-drawn characters on board the train whom we and the main character come to know. In addition to the chaperone Dorothea, they include:
-- The Amtrak conductor, “a short guy who walks like a penguin.”
-- Neal, the “ridiculously good-looking” guy with the cleft chin, who works the snack counter.
-- “Tenderchunks,” a sandy-haired, poetry-loving Boy Scout, who is the target of the other Scouts’ mean spiritedness.
-- Carlos, the friendly old guy with the neatly-trimmed gray beard, who’s fond of crossword puzzles.
There’s also a broken SpongeBob watch and a heavy little black box.
An important character we hear much about but never meet is Dr. Lola, the school therapist back in Palm Springs, whose advice the protagonist recounts, trusts, and often tries to follow.
All of this makes TRAIN I RIDE a unique and extraordinary coming of age story about a resilient, green-haired tween who will capture your heart.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
February 21, 2019
Devoured my second Paul Mosier book in as many days and I feel as if the words I chose for this review will be very similar to the review I wrote for "Echo's Sister".
If you're in a hurry and don't have time to spend reading the review of some random person on Goodreads but still, for who knows what reason, is still interested in my thoughts, let me give you one simple word that describes the words that Mosier puts between the front and back cover of his books...
Empathy!!!!
There you have it, plain and simple. The emotions that Mosier's words allow you to feel are so real and genuine that it doesn't matter if you have lived through similar experiences or find yourself as far away from them as possible, your heart will be able to easily conjure up the extreme sentiment that the characters are going through. If you're a thirteen-year-old kid living on the California coast or a thirty-three-year-old man spending time at the end of the tracks in Chicago, the words on the pages have a purpose and because of that, they are impactful.
To prove that point all you have to do is take a look at the premise of this book. It's about a girl traveling from LA to Chicago on a train. Whoopdy Doo (*said sarcastically). There really isn't anything about that scenario that should be that outstanding, but the fact that Mosier makes you feel like a person on the train, makes you feel like you are the one experiencing the sadness, laughing at the good times and falling in love, turns something so simple into a reading that is absolutely magical.
There are some pretty solid authors in my life, the ones that pull on my heartstrings and make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The ones that bring characters to life and help restore my faith in humanity. I'm happy to add Mosier to that list and I'm beyond excited to dive into all the empathy he can throw my way in the years to come.
If you're in a hurry and don't have time to spend reading the review of some random person on Goodreads but still, for who knows what reason, is still interested in my thoughts, let me give you one simple word that describes the words that Mosier puts between the front and back cover of his books...
Empathy!!!!
There you have it, plain and simple. The emotions that Mosier's words allow you to feel are so real and genuine that it doesn't matter if you have lived through similar experiences or find yourself as far away from them as possible, your heart will be able to easily conjure up the extreme sentiment that the characters are going through. If you're a thirteen-year-old kid living on the California coast or a thirty-three-year-old man spending time at the end of the tracks in Chicago, the words on the pages have a purpose and because of that, they are impactful.
To prove that point all you have to do is take a look at the premise of this book. It's about a girl traveling from LA to Chicago on a train. Whoopdy Doo (*said sarcastically). There really isn't anything about that scenario that should be that outstanding, but the fact that Mosier makes you feel like a person on the train, makes you feel like you are the one experiencing the sadness, laughing at the good times and falling in love, turns something so simple into a reading that is absolutely magical.
There are some pretty solid authors in my life, the ones that pull on my heartstrings and make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The ones that bring characters to life and help restore my faith in humanity. I'm happy to add Mosier to that list and I'm beyond excited to dive into all the empathy he can throw my way in the years to come.
May 3, 2017
"The train I ride in is 16 coaches long"
The train that "Ryder" is on is headed east. Away from California, from a grandmother that can no longer care for her. Towards Chicago, to live with relatives who are strangers to her. This girl has built a wall around herself emotionally, not opening up to anyone. "Ryder" will not even reveal her true name (R-Y-D-E-R is what's printed on her train tag). To her great surprise, the various people she meets on the train are all very friendly and caring. So much so that "Ryder" begins to come out of her shell and accept that she might actually find love and forgiveness from the "family" she's become part of while riding the train.
The cover was what drew me to this book; a "cut-away" view of the inside of the train and all the people on it, in their various activities. The description of the route the train was taking was done well, and the author notes he has taken that same train route many times himself.
Great Quotes From This Book:
(pg.144) "I was one of a hundred mistakes she made, but I was the one that stayed around, mocking her, reminding her what she was..."- Ryder
RED FLAGS:
In Chapter 15, Ryder describes finding her mother after she overdosed on drugs; could be disturbing for some readers.
*This book got a rating of B+ in my Reading Journal*
The train that "Ryder" is on is headed east. Away from California, from a grandmother that can no longer care for her. Towards Chicago, to live with relatives who are strangers to her. This girl has built a wall around herself emotionally, not opening up to anyone. "Ryder" will not even reveal her true name (R-Y-D-E-R is what's printed on her train tag). To her great surprise, the various people she meets on the train are all very friendly and caring. So much so that "Ryder" begins to come out of her shell and accept that she might actually find love and forgiveness from the "family" she's become part of while riding the train.
The cover was what drew me to this book; a "cut-away" view of the inside of the train and all the people on it, in their various activities. The description of the route the train was taking was done well, and the author notes he has taken that same train route many times himself.
Great Quotes From This Book:
(pg.144) "I was one of a hundred mistakes she made, but I was the one that stayed around, mocking her, reminding her what she was..."- Ryder
RED FLAGS:
In Chapter 15, Ryder describes finding her mother after she overdosed on drugs; could be disturbing for some readers.
*This book got a rating of B+ in my Reading Journal*
February 6, 2017
3.5 stars As a teenager, I rode the Amtrak line from Chicago to Battle Creek once a month in the 80s to visit my dad, step-mom, and grandparents. In reading Train I Ride, I couldn't help but recall those trips and the countless soft microwaveable pizzas I ate from the Cafe Car. Sadly, I don't remember someone like Neal serving that rubbery round snack to me. I just remember the stomach ache I would get after eating it.
"Train" is marketed as a middle grade novel, but I would recommend it to 6th grade and above. The things that Rydr has experienced in life are heavy and depressing. And while there are some bright moments in the book, the majority of it is example after example of Rydr working through what has happened to her. There are important characters on the train that unknowingly and knowingly help her process and grieve. "Train" reminds you to reach out to those who are difficult to love. There are always reasons why we are the way we are.
Side note: The Book jacket is absolutely amazing! If Amtrak had a book store, this book would certainly need to be a part of it. Now that would be a novel idea!
"Train" is marketed as a middle grade novel, but I would recommend it to 6th grade and above. The things that Rydr has experienced in life are heavy and depressing. And while there are some bright moments in the book, the majority of it is example after example of Rydr working through what has happened to her. There are important characters on the train that unknowingly and knowingly help her process and grieve. "Train" reminds you to reach out to those who are difficult to love. There are always reasons why we are the way we are.
Side note: The Book jacket is absolutely amazing! If Amtrak had a book store, this book would certainly need to be a part of it. Now that would be a novel idea!
March 9, 2017
Absolutely wonderful debut novel. "Train I Ride" is a heart wrenching coming of age story that packs a lot of soul into a surprisingly short novel. Rydr is an almost 13 year old sporting some finely dyed green hair, when she is placed on a train in California as an unaccompanied minor. The train is headed to Chicago where Rydr is being sent to live with her great-uncle, the only living relative that has agreed to take her. Rydr's life has been filled with more than her share of pain, but somehow she has managed to retain her spirt and a strength that can't help but draw people to her. We root for her as she comes to find herself, and a family of sorts as she rides the train. The metaphor of a train trip filled with self discovery works because of the beautiful writing and carefully crafted characters. This is one I will recommend and remember for a long time. Magnificent debut.
July 6, 2019
After the death of her grandmother, Rydr is sent from California to live with her uncle in Chicago. Her trip takes place on the Amtrak train under the watchful eye of her caregiver Dorothea. Much of the story focuses on Rydr's clever attempts to get something to eat on the train ride after she spends all her food money at a stop in California. On the train Rydr meets an interesting group of characters who, without her realizing it, begin to feel like the family she has never really had. The high point of the story comes when Rydr comes to accept the meaning of her mother's death.
This book is fairly recent. It was more emotional than I anticipated it to be, but in a good way. The story is an easy read, showing that a kid's/YA book doesn't have to be lengthy in order to be meaningful. I enjoyed Rydr's character very much would definitely be interested in reading more about her.
This book is fairly recent. It was more emotional than I anticipated it to be, but in a good way. The story is an easy read, showing that a kid's/YA book doesn't have to be lengthy in order to be meaningful. I enjoyed Rydr's character very much would definitely be interested in reading more about her.
February 4, 2017
This was a very quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed! The things Rydr has endured in her short life are enough to break most people but she has managed to come through strong and good. She is smart and has a tenacity about her that is inspiring.
The adults she comes across on her journey are just who she needs in her life at this time. They don't treat her as if she is broken or try to fix her, they just love her. As a result of that one thing, each person is changed. As I was reading I tried to put myself in the place of the different adults and wondered if I would respond the same way they did. I am pretty sure I would have tried to fix and probably would have coddled her. This story gave me an opportunity to see things in a different way and I am grateful for that.
The adults she comes across on her journey are just who she needs in her life at this time. They don't treat her as if she is broken or try to fix her, they just love her. As a result of that one thing, each person is changed. As I was reading I tried to put myself in the place of the different adults and wondered if I would respond the same way they did. I am pretty sure I would have tried to fix and probably would have coddled her. This story gave me an opportunity to see things in a different way and I am grateful for that.
July 29, 2025
One of the most compassionate stories I've read that is a character study of a protaganist who is spunky, funny, thoughtful, sweet, and a little weird (But she's 13 so we'll give her a pass).
And that ending is so moving. Mosier knows when and how to really give an emotional gut punch.
And that ending is so moving. Mosier knows when and how to really give an emotional gut punch.
November 11, 2017
What I say about this book, what it says about me
Paul Mosier had me by the end of the second page. By the time I got to the chain smoking Chihuahua, there was no turning back. I have a hard time saying why I loved this book so strongly. I think it must be the train-like, musical flow of the sentences and the blunt honesty of the character's voice. All too often, an author writes a tragic character as cute, or sarcastic, or angry. Mosier captures the confusion and the flux of sadness much better.
Here's a sample from Ch. 2:
For contrast, here's a sample from Lemons, a book I attempted to read and abandoned immediately before beginning this one.
Mind you, both of these books are about a tween making new friends while mourning her dead mother. They couldn't be more different. Train I Ride feels like a real person is talking about real pain, and Lemons feels like someone is doing a Mad Libs version of Because of Winn-Dixie.
Newbery Comment If there is any justice in the world, then this book will at least get an honor. It is easily my favorite of the six Newbery-eligible books I've looked at this year.
Age Level Some reviewers are concerned that this book is too gritty for the middle grades. I suppose it depends on your middle grader. I can easily see it for a sixth grader, and maybe a fifth. It is less dark than One Crazy Summer, The War that Saved My Life, and The House of the Scorpion, all of which received Newbery recognition.
Two Complaints
1. There's some cheese in the last 30 pages. Two many problems are resolved, and much too quickly. It's too neat and convenient, and it undermines the realism of the first 3/4 of the book. Also, I wish I knew more about Dorothea and why she changes the way that she does.
2. Near the climax, the protagonist breaks a mirror, cutting her hands in the process. Because teens are vulnerable to copying behaviors, I am leery of anything even vaguely resembling self-harm in a book for young people.
Paul Mosier had me by the end of the second page. By the time I got to the chain smoking Chihuahua, there was no turning back. I have a hard time saying why I loved this book so strongly. I think it must be the train-like, musical flow of the sentences and the blunt honesty of the character's voice. All too often, an author writes a tragic character as cute, or sarcastic, or angry. Mosier captures the confusion and the flux of sadness much better.
Here's a sample from Ch. 2:
On the train, out the windows, you see different things than you see on a highway. You see old things, and sad things, and pretty things, and monstrous things piled alongside the tracks. The old parts of downtowns and their vintage movie theaters with names like The Bijou , and piles of railroad ties and concrete blocks and rusted metal buildings, and rusted cars, and rusted people looking back at you from their dusty yards, and dogs without collars walking nowhere.
For contrast, here's a sample from Lemons, a book I attempted to read and abandoned immediately before beginning this one.
I think I've moved to Jupiter.
Maybe Mars.
It's not just that there's a wooden statue of a Bigfoot in the center of town. Or that there's an actual resident Bigfoot hunter running around with a single business card stuffed in his pocket. To top it all off, the old man even owns a shop out on Highway 299 called Bigfoot Souvenirs and More. (Ch. 4)
Mind you, both of these books are about a tween making new friends while mourning her dead mother. They couldn't be more different. Train I Ride feels like a real person is talking about real pain, and Lemons feels like someone is doing a Mad Libs version of Because of Winn-Dixie.
Newbery Comment If there is any justice in the world, then this book will at least get an honor. It is easily my favorite of the six Newbery-eligible books I've looked at this year.
Age Level Some reviewers are concerned that this book is too gritty for the middle grades. I suppose it depends on your middle grader. I can easily see it for a sixth grader, and maybe a fifth. It is less dark than One Crazy Summer, The War that Saved My Life, and The House of the Scorpion, all of which received Newbery recognition.
Two Complaints
1. There's some cheese in the last 30 pages. Two many problems are resolved, and much too quickly. It's too neat and convenient, and it undermines the realism of the first 3/4 of the book. Also, I wish I knew more about Dorothea and why she changes the way that she does.
2. Near the climax, the protagonist breaks a mirror, cutting her hands in the process. Because teens are vulnerable to copying behaviors, I am leery of anything even vaguely resembling self-harm in a book for young people.
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