I almost returned this to the library without reading it. I tried it a couple of times but put it down. I did decide to finally read it though.

The research is good. The account seems honest. I appreciate the inclusion of several less than laudable aspects of how this project came to be and then was carried out.

It covers quite a bit about what happened. Maybe too much and too shallowly? I wanted more details. There are a lot of tidbits and short sections.

As a young elementary school student, I would have enjoyed this book as a history lesson. It did read like the kind of book I would have read for school. As an entertainment/informative text reading as an adult I wasn’t as enthusiastic about it.

I have always loved trains and had interest in the building of the first transcontinental railroad. This book might fully satisfy its intended audience of elementary ages school children. For me as an adult now I will need to seek out another book or film. This was a good introduction to the subject though. I do think it was a bit dry.

The illustrations are done in a realistic style. They’re not exactly to my artistic taste but I think they were a wise choice because the book is non-fiction and I think the reader does get a good feel for how things would have looked back then. The pictures are interesting and vivid and help tell the story.

I’m glad I read it but I appreciated it more than I liked it. It’s definitely well done and has useful information as extras at the end of the book and a great map in the front. ( )

Impressive and enjoyable. I was never much interested in history in general, certainly not of this period/ event. But Frazer brings it to life with bright images and clear text. With support, a child as young as 7 or 8 can understand it, and general readers of any age can learn from it. ( )

On May 10, 1869, the final spike in North America's first transcontinental railroad was driven home at Promontory Summit, Utah. Illustrated with the author's carefully researched, evocative paintings, here is the story of that great American adventure--and the day Charles Crocker staked $10,000 on the crews' ability to lay a world record ten miles of track in a single, Ten Mile Day.

In this book, Mary Ann Fraser has captured the excitement and frenzy of an amazing true feat, the laying of ten miles of railroad track in one day. It was April 28, 1869. Fourteen hundred of the Central Pacific's best workers (mainly Chinese, but also Irish and perhaps African Americans and Mormon Americans) and nearly five thousand spectators were on hand near the Great Salt Lake to see if Central Pacific Railroad boss Charles Crocker would win his $10,000 bet against Union Pacific's boss. Crocker thought the ten miles could be hammered down and workers were offered four times the normal wages if they were successful. For some, this might have seemed like a ridiculous idea. When the building of the railroad was first begun, laying only one mile was difficult. However, as Fraser consistently points out, the workers had formed themselves into efficient teams. Besides describing the "Ten Mile Day" Fraser included general information about the building of the transcontinental railroad, in both the main text and in several sidebars. The realistic illustrations (also by Fraser!) were well researched and convincing. Although students may not read the end notes "The Next Day...and Beyond" (the text is very small) Fraser goes into some of the long-lasting consequences of the railroad such as the loss of millions of bison and the destruction of native peoples' way of life. Students who love learning about how things are built or enjoy stories about competitions will probably appreciate this book the most. ( )