The Trolley Car Family [Paperback]

Eleanor Lowenton Clymer (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (July 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590407325
• ISBN-13: 978-0590407328
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #595,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Trolley Care Family, December 29, 2005

By 

Norma June "Terri" (Richmond, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trolley Car Family (Paperback)

This is a feel good story about a family of 6 and a once grouchy neighbor in the mid twentieth century.

The father is a trolley car driver who feels lost and upset when the trolley cars are suddenly replaced by busses. He not only refuses to drive a bus, but takes his trolley car instead of severence pay. During a family meeting to brainstorm their options grouchy neighbor Mr. Jefferson, who delivers milk in the wee morning hours and is usually unable to sleep due to all the noise, comes over to see why it is so quiet next door.

Thanks to contributions from all, the family decides to live in the car out in the country. And, the adventure begins . . . The new neighbors they meet there, the spring, the cherry trees, the curiosity, the changes some of them make . . . all make for a wonderful, warm reading experience.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great family story, July 9, 2006

By 

Curiously Strong "Lauren" (Iowa City IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trolley Car Family (Paperback)

This is a warm tale of a family facing hard times in the immediate post WW II era, when the face of American life was changing. Pa, a trolley car driver, learns that his job will be lost and his beloved trolley car replaced by a smelly old bus. Rather than cave to the bus trend, he and his family (and their new friend, Mr Jefferson) drive the trolley to the end of the line and build an idyllic life in the country, farming and raising lots of livestock. Overall I loved this book, especially the emphasis the author places on the importance of children's input in family decisions. The only thing holding this book back from a 5 star rating for me is the running theme of Pa being "the boss of the family," and Ma resisting her urges to question his decision making. This is pretty easily overlooked, though, and makes for a wonderful story about farm life. It reminds me of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, only about 80 years later!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Kids, January 21, 2003

By 

Carrie J. (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trolley Car Family (Paperback)

I read this book many times as an elementary school student. It is quite an idyllic story about a family that lives in an old trolley car. They remove the seats and turn it into a quaint home. It is a sweet story that kids today will enjoy. I am planning to add it to my classroom library for my students to read.