When the Whistle Blows

by Fran Cannon Slayton (Author)

When the Whistle Blows
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
The powerful first novel by newcomer Slayton captures the serendipity of boyhood by shining a spotlight on the peak adventures of the life of a boy growing up in a small town in 1940s West Virginia.
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Hardcover
$16.99

School Library Journal

Starred Review
Gr 610Linked stories set on seven consecutive All Hallows' Eves, from 1943 through 1949, relate Jimmy Cannon's teenage years in Rowlesburg, WV. Central to his story are his two older brothers, his friends, and especially his father, a formidable figure in a long succession of Cannon men who have worked for the B&O railroad. Why then, does Dad insist that Jimmy must not follow in his own footsteps? And what is his father's role in the secretive and mysterious "Society" of local men? This is nostalgia done right, as Jimmy describes the high jinks, the championship football game, the risks and rewards of his part-time job, and other significant events that shape his love for his small hometown at a time and place when the railroad "was" the town. Telling details and gentle humor help set the scene and reveal a great deal about these characters and their lives. The nature, membership, and duties of "The Society" slowly come to the fore as events transpire that sharpen Jimmy's perceptions and provide him with the insights to consider the possibility of an unknown and very different future than the one he had always imagined. A polished paean to a bygone time and place."Joel Shoemaker, South East Junior High School, Iowa City, IA" Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

-An unassuming masterpiece.+ -"Kirkus Reviews," starred review
Fran Cannon Slayton
Fran Cannon Slayton lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780399251894
Lexile Measure
810
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Philomel Books
Publication date
June 20, 2009
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV005000 - Juvenile Fiction | Boys & Men
JUV017030 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Halloween
JUV041050 - Juvenile Fiction | Transportation | Railroads & Trains
Library of Congress categories
History
Family
Railroads
Family life
West Virginia
Country life
Railroad trains
To 1950
Black-Eyed Susan Award
Nominee 2010 - 2011
Virginia Readers Choice Award
Nominee 2012 - 2012
Young Hoosier Book Award
Nominee 2012 - 2012

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