The prequel to the Newbery Honor-winning Dragonwings. In rural China in 1865, 14-year-old Otter begins his journey to America to meet his father and legendary uncle on the transcontinental railroad. In the freezing mountains of the Sierras, Otter begins to discover himself and what he's made of.

In 1867, while staying with her father in a small California mining town, ten-year-old Winnie meets a Chinese boy close to her age and discovers the role of his people in completing the transcontinental railroad.

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 ...

From the creator of the "stunning" ("Booklist") "Moonshot" comes a rich and detailed sensory exploration of America's early railroads. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives of the 19th century. Full color.

Back when Charlotte May Pierstorff wanted to cross the Idaho mountains to see her grandma in 1914, the railroad was the only way to get there. Here is a true story of how May got to make the trip, thanks to her own spunk, her father's clever plan, and the U.S. Mail. Full color.

Great photographs and informative text provide interesting facts about trains and their history.