The Polar Express

Title: The Polar Express
Genre: Caldecott
Author: Chris Van Allsburg
Major Awards: Caldecott Medal
Age Group: Kindergarten-2nd grade

This is a sweet story of a young boy and his journey to the North Pole. He was unsure if he believed in Santa, as his friends all told him Santa was not real. On Christmas Eve, as he was laying in bed, he heard the sounds of 'hissing steam and squeaking metal', and he looked outside to find a large train in front of his home. He went outside, and the conductor explained that the train was on its way to the North Pole. The boy was given a ticket and hopped on the train. Here, he was met with many other children and lots of sweet treats and hot cocoa. They traveled through dark forests, mountains, hills, and plains, until finally arriving at the North Pole. The conductor explained that they would get off the train, and one lucky child would be selected by Santa to receive the first gift of Christmas. To the young boy's surprise, Santa picked him, and he told Santa he really would like a bell off Santa's sleigh. He got his wish, and he did hear the ringing of the bell because he believed in Santa. He put it in his pocket, but as he boarded the train to head home, he realized he had lost the bell. To his delight, when he woke in the morning, Santa had left a small gift for him, and inside was the bell. In the end, he could hear the bell, but his parents could not. He explained that the bell still rings for all who truly believe. 

This book (and movie) was one of my favorites from my childhood, and still is today! I will most definitely will have this book in my classroom! It is such a sweet story about the innocence of Christmas through the eyes of a child. I believe that younger elementary students would find this truly magical and captivating because they are still very much into Santa. It is very deserving of a Caldecott, with the illustrations really making the story come to life!

I think that Kindergarten through second grade students would enjoy this book the most. Like I said, these students are still very much into the magic of Christmas, and would find the story truly magical. It is a longer story, so the younger ones would probably need it read to them, but I think it would make a perfect read-aloud! It is truly a wonderfully written and illustrated book! 

I think it would be fun to read this story before Christmas break, and have a "Polar Express Day." The students could wear their pajamas, and I would have the movie playing in the background, and give them sweet treats to enjoy while watching. It would even be fun to give each of them a ticket as they came into the room that morning! There are so many fun activities and worksheets online that correspond to the book that I could give the students. There are word searches, a "read and sequence" worksheet that has the students put the order of events from the book, bingo, making our own bells, making trains with our faces in the window, and much more!