The Last Rail

Title: The Last Rail
Author: Darice Bailer
Illustrator: Bill Farnsworth
Publisher: Trudy Corporation
www.soundprints.com
Genre: Picture Book, History
Audience: 2nd- 4th grade
Overview: This story is about a girl by the name of Lucy, and the building of the First Continental Railroad. Her and her friends take a trip to the National Museum of American History. She loves taking pictures and finds herself back in time taking a picture of an important time in history. Lucy feels very honored to have been able to take a picture of the final installation of the First Continental Railroad and was able to learn first hand how they made the railroad.
Activity: An activity for this book would be to use it to introduce a history lesson on the Transcontinental Railroad. Students could also create a time line of important events that occurred during the building of the railroad.
Reviewer: Katy Ulrich