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摘要
摘要
From the author of The Kite Rider comes another great historical novel--this time set in the American west, where the residents of a new settlement struggle against nature and the railroad to keep their town alive. Pulse-pounding adventure, moments of gut-bustin' humor, and a deeply moving sense of community.
评论 (5)
《学校图书馆杂志》(School Library Journal)书评
Gr 5-8-This exciting historical novel opens in the year 1893 when the Oklahoma Land Rush is in full swing. Cissy Sissney and her parents have just arrived to stake a claim in the future town of Florence. Their mode of transportation is a train, the Red Rock Runner, soon to become a major factor in the story. Angered that the settlers can't be talked into selling him their claims, the railroad owner vows never to allow stops in Florence. He becomes all the more determined when his son throws his lot in with the town. If the newcomers can't change his mind, their town is doomed. A colorful cast of characters works to solve this dilemma but every plan seems destined to fail. A teacher is hired and opens the world's most unconventional school, and everyone is thrilled when a traveling troupe of actors comes to town. So well do they perform their melodrama that a member of the audience stands up and shoots the villain, who then stays and becomes another citizen of Florence. There is also a real villain and a major feud between two families, resulting in a child actually being tied to the tracks to stop the train. There is much tongue-in-cheek humor in this rollicking tale, and wonderful figurative language abounds. However, the true appeal lies in the eccentric but lovable characters and their unusual exploits. Plus, the story, based on true events, is just downright fun to read.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
出版社周刊评论
In our Best Books citation, PW wrote, "In a narrative that feels like the literary equivalent of a grand old western movie, the author paints a vivid picture of turn-of-the-20th-century settlers who arrive at a barren patch of land in Oklahoma with the dream of creating a city there." Ages 10-up. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
《儿童读物杂志》(Horn Book)书评
(Intermediate, Middle School) When the homesteaders arriving in the newly created town of Florence, Oklahoma, rebuff the Red Rock Railroad's offer to buy out their claims, the president of the company decides in a huff that the train will never stop there. The residents realize that the remote location of their town ""made a Florence-without-trains a Florence-without-hope."" But these feisty Florentines are not without hope. They create a series of roadblocks (both literal and figurative) that they hope will stop the iron horse--including greasing the tracks with lard and, ultimately, hijacking the train. A British author writing about the American frontier circa 1893, McCaughrean creates a busy panorama that's just exaggerated enough to ward off any picky questions of historical authenticity. The book chugs along faster than the Red Rock Runner, nearly every page offering up a keenly observed image (the satin-cushioned seats at the schoolhouse are fashioned from donated coffins) or description (""rancid as the milk in a dead cat"") that begs to be read aloud. Although the town itself is really the main character, among its colorful denizens are young Cissy Sissney and her classmate Kookie Warboys; a Swedish baker who selects his mail-order bride based on the temperature of her hands (""hands cold for pastry must be""); and a wonderfully portrayed (though completely illiterate) schoolteacher who perforce instructs her class in lighting wet kindling and plucking prairie falcons. They all contribute to the strong sense of community spirit in this memorable portrait. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus评论
Florence, Oklahoma, didn't really exist. It was nowhere, a space to be filled, a dream in the minds of town boosters and settlers alike. Set during the Land Rush in the early 1890s, McCaughrean's story captures the spirit of the new prairie towns hoping to become a stop on the train line to ensure their survival. As children run wild, organize turtle hunts, and stage beetle races, adults create banks, post offices, schools, and stores. Using a larger-than-life language to match the wild dreams of the town's founders, McCaughrean vividly evokes a time and a spirit, and answers a question young readers may never have thought to ask: where do towns come from? It is not completely accurate to say Florence was created out of nothing; what was there all along was a willingness to take a chance and to start a new life. Though Enid, Oklahoma, was the inspiration of this story, it's the story of many prairie towns, and a story that will engage young readers. (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
《书目》(Booklist)书评
Gr. 5-8. In 1893, the northwest of Oklahoma was opened to settlers, and the train brought folks to places that didn't exist. McCaughrean, who can make a brilliant tale out of almost anything, uses the historical site of Enid, Oklahoma, as a starting point for a wild and wonderful ride. A trainload of people gets off at the newly named Florence to discover there isn't anything there. But there's going to be. Twelve-year-old Cissy, her cheerful dad and morose mom, a black wheelwright, and a handful of others try to create a life from nothing, a fate made infinitely more difficult when the train decides, for nefarious reasons, to eliminate its Florence stop. A gently heightened view of the homesteading life--the constant hunger, the lack of distraction, the battle against weather and insects--serves as the backdrop for some hilarious characters and their indefatigable efforts (everything from hijacking to loading the tracks with rancid lard) to make the train stop in their town. What finally works makes for a spellbinding denouement. --GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright 2003 Booklist