Customer Reviews

The Trolley Car Family

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

When I was 10 years old I read and re-read The Trolley Car Family at least 100 times (without exaggerating!) I have loved it all these years and now am reading it to grandchildren!

The "Trolley Car Family" was my favorite book as a child. I read it over and over again. It was written in 1947 at a time when life was much simpler, maybe a happier time. At least the author, Eleanor Clymer, made it seem so. It's a story of a very "functional" family. One wonders if there is such a thing. It always made me happy to read it and reading it as a "mature" adult gave me the same warm feeling. I didn't want it to end. I'm sure I'll read it again one day. Meanwhile, I'm hoping my very "sophisticated" 13 year old daughter will read it and enjoy it as much as I do.

The Trolley Car Family is a good book for anyone who likes adventure. It is a good book to read yourself or read to your kids! It says "gosh" a few times but everything else is clean.

I liked it because the people got to live in a old trolley car. They also have many funny adventures, like the time they accidentally left the baby in the rain.

I like how the four kids and the parents and the once grouchy neighbor all become good friends.

This was my father's favorite book as a child and beens his copy was falling apart I figured I would get him a new one for Father's Day.

the family moved in a trolley car that they have towed out in the country read and see what happens to them as in the wilderness