Traveling to Teens - When the Whistle Blows

I'm the first stop on Traveling to Teen's tour of When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton.


Jimmy comes from a family where all the boys eventually end up working on the steam engines of the trains nearby. His father keeps telling him the times are changing and that soon steam engines will be replaced with diesels. This doesn't squelch Jimmy's dreams - especially when his two brothers start working with his father. Under all of this is whispers of The Society - a group of men that meet secretly for reasons unknown.

The book is written in small segments progressing from year to year - always written on All Hallow's Eve. You see the considerable growth in Jimmy as he progresses from middle to high school and then finally to graduating. His father is a force to be reckoned with and always at the center of these stories.

I really enjoyed this book with the different events that happened - some terrifying, some funny, and others a bit heart-wrenching. Definitely a great book to read around Halloween.

5/5 Roses