Trains (Transportation) by Julie Murray

Trains (Transportation) Reviews

• 
  Aaron Jordan

  Core Curricular: Science
  
  Use: This book can target several of the Nebraska State Education standards for K-2 science and is of particular interest to many students this age. After reading, students would be able to “Describe objects…using pictures, words, and numbers” (SC2.1.1.d), they could “Observe physical properties of objects” such as “color, size, shape, weight” (SC2.2.1.a) and even “Describe how objects move in many different ways” (SC2.2.2.b). Perhaps students could draw a train based on the characteristics they learned from the book, and chart a path from one place to another. Students could even use a ruler to measure the distance traveled, or in designing the tracks, allowing them to target standard SC2.2.1.c, “Measure objects using standard and non-standard units.”
  
  Rationale: This book was attractive to me because of its simple design: text on one side, image on the other. The language is simple and direct and covers many things about trains such as why they’re used, different ways people use trains, and uses simple math and science terms that students can understand. I was also drawn to this book because of Omaha’s rich train history and thought an extension could be a field trip to the Durham Museum or even Union Pacific. The book would also be a good introduction to common text features found in nonfiction works.
• 
  Lisa

  Barton, C. (2010). Shark vs. train. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.
  
  Murray, J. (2015). Trains. Minneapolis, MN: Abdo Kids.
  
  Trains and Shark vs. Train make a good twin text set because they complement each other’s topics and would open up discussion about realism versus fantasy. Shark vs. Train is about an imaginary battle between a shark and a train and contains many moments about trains when you could have a discussion about why a certain match-up would work to the train’s advantage (ex. roasting mushrooms) or against it (ex. deep sea diving). The factual content of Trains could be used as text evidence to tell why each contest would be good/bad for the train.
  Trains follows a descriptive non-fiction structure. The author describes different parts of a train, what a train carries, and different types of trains. The author includes the following non-fiction text features: table of contents, headings, glossary, index, related websites list, bold words, and photos.
  One strategy for connecting these two texts would be to use both books to create a web about trains. Students could be led to read closely in order to find facts about trains from each book. Another possible strategy would be to use a Venn diagram to compare real trains and the fictional fighting train, using the two books as text evidence. This strategy would help students compare how fantasy and non-fiction texts are different.
  
• 
  Eva Kelly

  Now THIS is how you make a book about trains! BIG! Because trains are big and so that's how a train BOOK should be, and it IS. This one has big, big, big pictures and not a whole lot of words. In a big book about trains, you want to see big pictures and not a lot of words, and that's why this one is really really good!
  I liked the train with the restaurant in it, because that's like the one that Mama and me rode on to see Mimi when we went through all the buildings and then into the tunnel and beside the river. And then she picked us up and we drove. So next time she needs to come with us!
• 
  Alexandria

  This is a very cute book with some basic information on types of trains. I read it to a three year old and a five year old, and both were interested. They asked a lot of questions that led us to learn more through Google, which is always a bonus!
• 
  Rosa Cline

  This is a part of the ABDO Kids Transportation series. These are wonderful books, the descriptions they give about how and what the vehicle does. Written in a way that little guys can relate to but still keep their attention.