Author/Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg
Genre: Fiction
Awards: Caldecott Awards
Grade Level: Prek-6th
A young boy lays quietly on Christmas Eve night listening for s special sound that was replaced with the sound of a train whistle. He stepped out to see the train and was asked if he was boarding the Polar Express. With hesitation he did. Children in pajamas filled the train awaiting their destination... The North Pole. Here Santa Claus would give the first gift of Christmas to someone special. When the young boy was chosen he chose something special, a bell from Santa's sleigh. On the way home, he realized it fell through a hole in his pocket. Santa came through on Christmas morning with it in a small box. It made the most beautiful noise when shook, but only if you believe.
This is a great book for all ages of elementary students. I would not use this book for instructional purposes. I recall reading this book in elementary and the teachers making a huge deal of it. All students came to school in their pajamas, got hot chocolate, went to the front office to get a polar express ticket, and watched the movie. I would love to do that with my students in the future.
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