The+Polar+Express


 * // The Polar Express //**** by Carl Van Allsburg **



 **Reading level:** Ages 4 and up  **Hardcover:** 32 pages  **Publisher:** Houghton Mifflin; 1st edition (September 28, 2009)  **Language:** English  **ISBN-10:** 0395389496  **ISBN-13:** 978-0395389492  **Product Dimensions:** 9.3 x 11.4 x 0.4 inches
 * Bibliographic Data:**

//The Polar Express// is a book about a boy who gets to meet Santa during the Christmas season. Christmas Eve, late at night, the boy hears a train. He goes outside and finds that the train is going to the North Pole; he goes along. Upon arrival, he finds elves gathered in the center of town. The elves are waiting for Santa to arrive. The boy is picked to receive the first gift of Christmas. He chooses a magical bell off the of the reindeers. When the boy gets back on the train he finds out that the bell has fallen out of his pocket because there is a hole in it. He returns home and goes to bed. When he wakes up Christmas morning, he finds the bell wrapped under the tree. His parents cannot hear the bell, but he does for the rest of his life.
 * Summary:**

This is my favorite Christmas book because it really brings out the Christmas spirit within the season. It really brings the magic of the season alive especially because I have seen many children receive a bell in their stocking after reading this book. I think this really brings the magic alive because they hear the bell and the magic of the story is reinforced. I also love how enchanting this story is. The book gives ideas of belief and believing in oneself. The hope and faith in oneself is apparent because people tell the boy “Santa isn’t real” and try to convince him of this throughout the book. However, the boy follows his gut and keeps believing in Santa and the spirit of Christmas. In the end he is rewarded because he gets to go to the North Pole and receives the first present of Christmas. I also believe that the illustrations help to bring the magic alive.
 * Review:**

Allsburg was born June 18, 1949 in Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan and graduated in 1972 with a degree in the arts. He went on to receive a master’s degree in sculpture at Rhode Island School of Design. He became an American author and illustrator and won Caldecott medals for three of his books. One of his other famous books is //Jumanji//. Allsburg is married to Lisa and they have two daughters. He currently lives in Rhode Island and has wrote about 22 books.
 * Author Bio:**

Within the book, the theme of faith is apparent. Faith can sometimes be a visual thing. For example within the book, Sarah can hear the bell for the longest time. It isn’t until she gets older that she can no longer hear the bell. She has faith that the bell will ring because she has “seen it ring” before, however doubt gets in the way of this faith eventually so that she can no longer hear the bell. In addition, the boy relies on this visual faith to allow him to hear the bell for so long. He saw Santa that Christmas Eve and this keeps his faith in Christmas alive for the rest of his life.
 * Analysis of Literary Element:**

**Additional Links:**  http://www.polarexpress.com/the-book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NkzNuB88OY