Rudy Rides the Rails
Rudy Rides the Rails: A Depression Era Story by Dandi Daley Mackall; ill. by Chris Ellison
Genre: historical fiction
Rudy Rides the Rails is a tale of struggle, sadness, and finding kindness and joy where one can. Rudy lives with his family during the great depression. He's old enough to work and when he can't find any, he sets off on a train looking for a way to make money. He doesn't buy a train ticket, but sneaks on--and becomes a hobo, riding from place to place, looking for work, trying to make his way out west (where he heard there were many jobs). When he leaves, his father tells him not to trust strangers, and look out only for himself, but Rudy only gets by thanks to the kindness of others, and on his journey he learns to look out for others as well. California isn't at all what he hoped, so he heads back home, working odd jobs along the way. By the time he makes it home, he has saved up some money, and he decides he'll leave a sign outside--a carved cat face--to let other hoboes know they've got a friend and a warm meal with Rudy. This book would be best suited for older elementary students.
Lesson ideas: Students could carve a cat face into clay. Students could also discuss a time when they had to rely on someone else for help, or when they helped someone else out.
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Genre: historical fiction
Rudy Rides the Rails is a tale of struggle, sadness, and finding kindness and joy where one can. Rudy lives with his family during the great depression. He's old enough to work and when he can't find any, he sets off on a train looking for a way to make money. He doesn't buy a train ticket, but sneaks on--and becomes a hobo, riding from place to place, looking for work, trying to make his way out west (where he heard there were many jobs). When he leaves, his father tells him not to trust strangers, and look out only for himself, but Rudy only gets by thanks to the kindness of others, and on his journey he learns to look out for others as well. California isn't at all what he hoped, so he heads back home, working odd jobs along the way. By the time he makes it home, he has saved up some money, and he decides he'll leave a sign outside--a carved cat face--to let other hoboes know they've got a friend and a warm meal with Rudy. This book would be best suited for older elementary students.
Lesson ideas: Students could carve a cat face into clay. Students could also discuss a time when they had to rely on someone else for help, or when they helped someone else out.
Discover more about the author
Discover more about the illustrator
Watch and listen
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