All Aboard the Schooltrain: A Little Story from the Great Migration

Gr 2-5–In a story straight out of history, Thelma and her family love to watch trains pass through her hometown of Vacherie, LA, and she longs to be a passenger on one of the trains one day. As the end of summer looms, Thelma finds solace in knowing she can get back on the “schooltrain” once third grade begins. The day finally comes and Thelma, her cousins, and her friends all form the schooltrain—a single line—with everyone playing roles as the passengers, caboose, or engineer as they walk to school. Each day, rain or shine, the schooltrain passes through town, picking up friends along the way as the kids chant “Schooltrain! Schooltrain! Don’t be late! The school bell rings at half past eight!” The story moves along as Thelma and her classmates try to embrace school life as it is very different from their white neighbors. The students enjoy classic stories and use their imaginations as they absorb all they can from an education with limitations. Sadly, one day Thelma’s best friend is forced to move to Minnesota where her daddy is relocated to find a new job. Will Thelma’s family be next? Morris’s pictures illustrate unique images with rigid lines and deep hues of brown and rusty orange that perfectly capture the somber times of segregation.