Whistles Through the Rocks

About the Book

This book is designed to meet the challenges fifth graders face taking standardized tests.Each paragraph is numbered to coincide with a companion study guide book that is also available through xlibris.com Its content includes material that can be enjoyed by 4th, 5th and 6th graders. This is a story about post Civil War Virginia and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution when the railroads first came through the Rocky Mount Station.The characters include 3 brothers, David, Michael, and Daniel plus a few surprise characters as well including Chapman who turns an ordinary Model T Ford into a railroad lizzie. Michael and Daniel gather coal that has fallen off of the trains passing by to sell to the local blacksmith for money. They encounter many adventures along the railroad tracks and become very enthusiastic when offered a ride ona train. The boys father, however, does not share the enthusiasm. His desire is for things to stay the same. In the story, Michael often has to choose between being a responsible adult and playing freely as a child. Eventually Michael gains the character trait of responsibility. In the end, the Burnt Chimney family learns to except the railroad system as a part of their lives and even learn to embrace it. This book is written as serialized story leaving the reader hanging at the end of each chapter and thirsting for more.

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