Published by Schwartz & Wade: New York City in the 1860s was a mess: crowded, disgusting, filled with garbage. You see, way back in 1860, there were no subways, just cobblestone streets. That is, until Alfred Ely Beach had the idea for a fan-powered train that would travel underground. On February 26, 1870, after fifty-eight days of drilling and painting and plastering, Beach unveiled his masterpiece—and throngs of visitors took turns swooshing down the track. 
 The Secret Subway will wow readers, just as Beach’s underground train wowed riders over a century ago.

Nugget: Way before the subway, New York city once had an underground train that today is long forgotten.

Need Enticement:  The author approaches in a meta-fiction fashion, she addresses the reader. Pulls them in to the book. I was hooked immediately. She uses words to point out how disgusting and dirty the streets of NYC are and explains something must be done. But what?

Escalation: New York needs some relief from congestion of people and buggies. One man has an idea. But soon, shop owners band together to boycott the idea because the train bypasses their stores and keeps people from window shopping and possibly buying. The train is shut down until the city approves the subway system that we know of today and the forgotten train is discovered.

Satisfying Ending: There was even a little railroad car rusting in its tracks, and a tunneling machine perched at the end-- ready to lead the way forward. --- Ok, as you can see, I feel as though there was so much much left unsatisfied. What happened when they found it? How did it get blocked over? It has only been 42 years, there are still enough people to remember it, not like it was 142 years.

Sources: As always Shana does a stellar job on author's note, sources, and acknowledgements.

Show Words: Disgusting, jounced, buggies, double-decker roads, roadblock, illuminating, gaslights. --- there were so many, that I am in love :-)

Why: An underground train? Come on, what kid will not find this fascinating? 

Need & Want: Need to find a way to move people through the city as the city traffic grows. Alfred Ely Beach

* This book is much different than author Shana Corey's normal writing style. Although I do love this book and the golden nugget, the ending left me wanting more, I wasn't satisfied. I wonder if this change in style lead to the change in publisher?
* The illustrations in this story are done by Red Nose Studio, very fitting because it reminds me of the old Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer movie. Think Tim Burton and Nightmare Before Christmas meets Picture Book and you will get a lovely unique result. I think that we will see this art style pop up again.

Disney Hyperion, Publisher synopsis: She couldn't go to college. She couldn't become a politician. She couldn't even vote. But Elizabeth Cady Stanton didn't let that stop her. She called on women across the nation to stand together and demand to be treated as equal to men-and that included the right to vote. It took nearly seventy-five years and generations of women fighting for their rights through words, through action, and through pure determination . . . for things to slowly begin to change. With the help of these trailblazers' own words, Doreen Rappaport's engaging text, brought to life by Matt Faulkner's vibrant illustrations, shows readers just how far this revolution has come, and inspires them to keep it going!

Nugget: Elizabeth Cady Stanton couldn't do a lot of things but that didn't stop her. 

Need Enticement: The hook is about Abigail Adams 250 years ago writing a letter to her husband with the famous words, "Remember the ladies!"
---- Ok, the hook doesn't refer to the main character what so ever. It is 250 year before the main character. I read it as pure information dumping.

Escalation: We start with 4 characters going to London to end slavery. Then finding out that because they were women they didn't have a say.  ---- Here is my issue, teachers who read the stories to children and even children themselves are going to have a hard time sympathizing with these ladies. Why would anyone think that they can visit another country and tell them how they can run things. Put it in kid terms, you don't go to your neighbors house and tell them how they are doing things wrong.

Page turn and the characters are back in New York. The women decided they need to write something to discuss women's rights, a sort of declaration.

​--- Honestly this story is a lot of name dropping. As a history buff I loved all the tidbits about people but I got lost. We introduced so many characters and so many plots. Sojourner Truth and the fact the black women had even less rights, Amelia Bloomer and her comfortable clothing, Susan B. Anthony and the fact that she is single and doesn't have to stay home to take care of the kids and husband. 

Satisfying Ending: The story ends with the Nineteenth Amendment but I can't say that it was satisfying.  I have no clue where this story has taken us. To me it was like reading a "people magazine" and every page was about someone else and the story promise about Elizabeth Cady Stanton was not delivered, she was lost in the book.

Sources: A great list of women trailblazers is provided in the back and limited resources. A great compilation of dates to remember milestones in women's history.

The remaining I am leaving blank. I love this author. But, I am truly disappointed. This book would have served a much better purpose had it been presented as Trailblazers and each two page spread dedicated to a woman who contributed to making a difference in women's history. 
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