Learning From Kids' Books

RobertInOntario

Active Member
My wife and sons came back from our local library yesterday with 5 railway books. Some were for little kids while 1-2 were for older kids and adults.

I was quite impressed by the quality of these (and the fact that my wife and kids were able to track these down!) :mrgreen:. Two were Canadian and one in particular (that I read with my 5-year-old last night) was really good. It was called The Kids Book of Canada's Railway and How the CPR Was Built, by Deborah Hodge (printed in 2000). The illustrations were good and realistic and the write-ups were very helpful.

I couldn't believe all the new things I was learning as we read parts of it. There was good info there about divisional points, sub-divisions, railway operation (i.e. how coaches were used & arranged), use of sidings, the dispatcher's job, the jobs/roles of the railway crew and also quite a bit of Canadian/CPR and CNR history, not to mention diagrams and explanations of how steam engines work and how/why diesels came on the scene.

So, if any of you are looking for a good book to read to your kids, or even for yourself, I really recommend this one. I'm looking forward to reading the other books they borrowed as well!

Rob
 
N

nachoman

Those crafty kids book authors :)

I've noticed that in kids books and tv shows, they often throw a few pieces of info in there to try and "teach the parents" :D

Kevin
 

RobertInOntario

Active Member
Those crafty kids book authors :)

I've noticed that in kids books and tv shows, they often throw a few pieces of info in there to try and "teach the parents" :D

Kevin


Yeah, that happens a lot! I often say that if you want a simple, basic over-view of a certain topic, to have a look at a good quality kids book. You'll get the straight goods and basic details there!

At any rate, I was just happy to find a book that clearly explained basic railway operation without going into loads of complicated details!

Cheers, Rob
 
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