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The Trolley Car Family
The Parker's acquisition fo an old trolley car results in a delightful summer in the country and a new job for Father
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
6 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Clymer
60 books14 followersEleanor Clymer (née Lowenton; January 7, 1906 – March 31, 2001), was a writer of children's books, best known for The Trolley Car Family (1947). She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1928 with a degree in English. Between the years of 1943 and 1983 she published 58 books, including The Tiny Little House, My Brother Stevie, and Hamburgers–and Ice Cream for Dessert.
Clymer was born in New York City, the daughter of Russian immigrants. Through much of her life she was a resident of Katonah, New York and an active member of the nearby Unitarian Universalist fellowship. In 1980 she was awarded the Rip Van Winkle award by the School Library Media Specialists of Southeastern New York for outstanding contributions to children's literature.
Her son, Adam Clymer, was a journalist with The New York Times. Clymer died in 2001 at the age of 95 in Haverford, Pennsylvania.
Clymer was born in New York City, the daughter of Russian immigrants. Through much of her life she was a resident of Katonah, New York and an active member of the nearby Unitarian Universalist fellowship. In 1980 she was awarded the Rip Van Winkle award by the School Library Media Specialists of Southeastern New York for outstanding contributions to children's literature.
Her son, Adam Clymer, was a journalist with The New York Times. Clymer died in 2001 at the age of 95 in Haverford, Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
October 17, 2022
Sweet little tale I remember reading oh so many years ago during childhood!
September 2, 2018
One of my favorite books when I was ten years old. And what’s not to like? A family of six living in a tiny house before tiny houses became chic, and living off the grid and farming before Mother Earth News started publishing articles on how-to. Throw in kindness to neighbors, and hospitality, and thankfulness in every circumstance, and you have a very pleasant book to read.
August 4, 2014
For years, I have had this book tickling the back of my memory - and unfortunately all I could get was it wasn't The Boxcar Children. Through a click here and there on Goodreads, I found the name and procured a copy. It was just as delightful as I remembered, and I was surprised at how much of the plot was familiar (and there was a schematic of the trolley-car - how awesome! )
This copy has a very 80s cover, but the original illustrations were retained in the text.
This copy has a very 80s cover, but the original illustrations were retained in the text.
August 7, 2025
Mr. Paterfamilias (oops, I mean Parker)'s job driving his beloved trolley has gone away with his company's transition to buses, and, in lieu of severance, he chooses to take his trolley. Now he needs a new job and a new place to live while finding one, so (with the help of a surly-but-with-heart-of-gold milkman), he, his wife, and their four kids move out into the country and turn the trolley into a cottage. A lovely little plan of the new living quarters is included.
I really enjoyed this as a child -- I think this was the first city-to-country book I read, and I do wonder if it is what has inspired me with such enthusiasm for the genre. Recently picked it up again and still thought it was great, though I suppose my forehead wrinkled at a couple of points.
Looking forward to trying this out on the kids, when the younger set is a bit older. Clymer has written "The Trolley Car Family" carefully to appeal to both girls and boys, which is a plus for those of us who deal with power struggles amongst diverse bedtime interest groups (DD#1 (age 4): I want a story about a princess who has a tea party with kittens. DS#1 (age 6): Let's have laser cannons and tanks instead. DS#2 (age 1): Dinosaur! Shark! Shark! Stegosaurus? Fish? Dinoshark.)
UPDATE! Nearly two years have passed, and I've finally read it to the kids. As predicted, it was a hit with both DS#1 (age 7) and DD#1 (age 5), who rated it with many stars and gave it all available thumbs up. They were quite disappointed at the lack of a sequel. DS#2 (age 3) mostly listened interestedly to the story, but, at the end, when asked for his opinion, complained that there weren't enough dinosaurs. I had thrown in a couple cameo appearances by velociraptors but should have scheduled least one prehistoric beast per chapter.
I really enjoyed this as a child -- I think this was the first city-to-country book I read, and I do wonder if it is what has inspired me with such enthusiasm for the genre. Recently picked it up again and still thought it was great, though I suppose my forehead wrinkled at a couple of points.
Looking forward to trying this out on the kids, when the younger set is a bit older. Clymer has written "The Trolley Car Family" carefully to appeal to both girls and boys, which is a plus for those of us who deal with power struggles amongst diverse bedtime interest groups (DD#1 (age 4): I want a story about a princess who has a tea party with kittens. DS#1 (age 6): Let's have laser cannons and tanks instead. DS#2 (age 1): Dinosaur! Shark! Shark! Stegosaurus? Fish? Dinoshark.)
UPDATE! Nearly two years have passed, and I've finally read it to the kids. As predicted, it was a hit with both DS#1 (age 7) and DD#1 (age 5), who rated it with many stars and gave it all available thumbs up. They were quite disappointed at the lack of a sequel. DS#2 (age 3) mostly listened interestedly to the story, but, at the end, when asked for his opinion, complained that there weren't enough dinosaurs. I had thrown in a couple cameo appearances by velociraptors but should have scheduled least one prehistoric beast per chapter.
July 23, 2025
4.75*, We had finished some mediocre family read alouds recently and this was so much more what I was looking for. Something that was enjoyable to read aloud, that was interesting, and focused on summer events. It had my youngest always wanting me to keep reading. Both kids felt the chapters were cliffhangers but I didn't think so. I didn't really want the story to end but it was a good length, had enjoyable illustrations, and is something I think I would have gravitated to when I was young much like Baby Island, Swiss Family Robinson, and other stories about alternate living situations. Definitely a keeper in our home library.
My son, age 7, loved it so much he would have been happy if I started reading it again. My daughter, 12.5 gave it 4.75/5*, my husband analyzed it much more and gave his own rating.
Some parts I enjoyed were Mr. Jefferson's transformation in personality, how Mrs. Parker doesn't want more livestock brought home lol, Sally's thoughtful gift shopping for everyone, and the conversation between husband and wife in "A Back Porch" where she stops herself from telling him not to get carried away with ideas.
Note: the trolley car is yellow so it bothered me that our cover shows it as red. The older dust jacket on the hardcovers is more accurate.
CCs pipe smoking
My son, age 7, loved it so much he would have been happy if I started reading it again. My daughter, 12.5 gave it 4.75/5*, my husband analyzed it much more and gave his own rating.
Some parts I enjoyed were Mr. Jefferson's transformation in personality, how Mrs. Parker doesn't want more livestock brought home lol, Sally's thoughtful gift shopping for everyone, and the conversation between husband and wife in "A Back Porch" where she stops herself from telling him not to get carried away with ideas.
Note: the trolley car is yellow so it bothered me that our cover shows it as red. The older dust jacket on the hardcovers is more accurate.
CCs pipe smoking
October 1, 2019
It's no secret that children have universally been known to get a sparkle in their eye at the prospect of sleeping somewhere other then their beds! It could be anything really, such as a tree fort, a trampoline, a barn, a teepee, to the more obscure, such as a cave, a boxcar ... or a trolley car. All sound fun and carry their own unique appeal.
The children in the trolley car family thought so too!
The day that the idea of living in a trolley car happened, didn't begin like any normal day. For instance, there was no noise. It was quiet. Dead quiet. And Mr. Jefferson, the neighbor, thought this was very peculiar indeed. Wasn't he always mumbling about all those laughs and fun-loving noises the children were making every morning that kept him awake. And none of them had dared to say hello to him; not that he liked it of course. So off he stomped to see what in tarnation was going on.
And that's when Mr. Jefferson, incidentally, and the Trolley Car Family, were about to embark on a wonderfully new adventure, living in a trolley car and working on a farm!
A great book for the entire family to read together that embraces strong, moral values - and it's not just directed at the kiddos either. The mom learns she needs to bite her tongue sometimes and let dad be the man of the family.
Ages: 5 - 12
Cleanliness: The words "gosh" "golly" "thank goodness" and the like are used. The men smoke pipes. If the children misbehave, they are corrected or change. The pet cat is named "kinky."
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
The children in the trolley car family thought so too!
The day that the idea of living in a trolley car happened, didn't begin like any normal day. For instance, there was no noise. It was quiet. Dead quiet. And Mr. Jefferson, the neighbor, thought this was very peculiar indeed. Wasn't he always mumbling about all those laughs and fun-loving noises the children were making every morning that kept him awake. And none of them had dared to say hello to him; not that he liked it of course. So off he stomped to see what in tarnation was going on.
And that's when Mr. Jefferson, incidentally, and the Trolley Car Family, were about to embark on a wonderfully new adventure, living in a trolley car and working on a farm!
A great book for the entire family to read together that embraces strong, moral values - and it's not just directed at the kiddos either. The mom learns she needs to bite her tongue sometimes and let dad be the man of the family.
Ages: 5 - 12
Cleanliness: The words "gosh" "golly" "thank goodness" and the like are used. The men smoke pipes. If the children misbehave, they are corrected or change. The pet cat is named "kinky."
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
January 28, 2025
This would be a rather different book if it were told from the point of view of Ma Parker and we were privy to her feelings when she finds out that when Pa Parker lost his job as a trolley car driver (because this is the 1940s, so they're being phased out), in lieu of a month's salary, he asked for, and received...a trolley car. However, this is an old fashioned children's book, so of course it turns out for the best. There's a certain charm in how the family organizes the tiny space once they move into the trolley, and how they learn to farm and raise animals, and discover a spring and a wild orchard on the abandoned farm (at the end of a line that was never utilized) where they park their trolley.
I was pleased to pick it up at a favorite used bookstore for $1 because it's one of the books on this list I created: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Pleasant and soothing reading, but for me, not a keeper.
I was pleased to pick it up at a favorite used bookstore for $1 because it's one of the books on this list I created: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Pleasant and soothing reading, but for me, not a keeper.
April 26, 2021
My kids absolutely loved this family read aloud, frequently asking me to read more and more chapters. We love books that have animals, big families (four kids), and at least one of my daughters loves a little chaste romance. This book had all of that plus the fun of imagining life in a trolley car and learning to love the country life!
February 18, 2009
I remember reading this as a child and loving it. Made me wish we lived on a trolley car.
August 12, 2007
I got this book from the give-away shelf at the hospital library.
The story takes place in the vague mid-20th-c. when trolley cars were being phased out in favor of buses as mass transportation. The Parker family is worried when Pa gets fired from his job as trolley car driver, but after brainstorming, they decide to take his trolley car and drive it to the end of the line and live in the country. With the help of their grumpy neighbor, Mr. Jefferson, they do just that, and subsequently discover the pastoral joys of farming life. Like the Box Car Children, it's pretty awesome to think about converting a trolley car into a house, and reading about them setting up their small farm is like reading Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Overall, this is a pretty fun book that I have read a few times and enjoy. The problem I have with it is some pretty unfeminist "Dad is the boss and Mom has to lump it" crap that I will have to edit out when I read this to my kids. I do like, though, that the parents include the children in decision-making.
The story takes place in the vague mid-20th-c. when trolley cars were being phased out in favor of buses as mass transportation. The Parker family is worried when Pa gets fired from his job as trolley car driver, but after brainstorming, they decide to take his trolley car and drive it to the end of the line and live in the country. With the help of their grumpy neighbor, Mr. Jefferson, they do just that, and subsequently discover the pastoral joys of farming life. Like the Box Car Children, it's pretty awesome to think about converting a trolley car into a house, and reading about them setting up their small farm is like reading Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Overall, this is a pretty fun book that I have read a few times and enjoy. The problem I have with it is some pretty unfeminist "Dad is the boss and Mom has to lump it" crap that I will have to edit out when I read this to my kids. I do like, though, that the parents include the children in decision-making.
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September 9, 2016If I try my memory, this is THE book that switched on my love for reading.
October 25, 2019
A heartwarming YA story published in 1947 about a family who moves to the country after the dad loses his job with the street car company. They take the dad's decommissioned trolley car with them and convert it into their new home on an old farmstead. I love all of the characters in this book - the entire Parker family and their neighbors from both the town and from the farm across from theirs. I have had this book since I was a child and still enjoyed it when rereading it so many years later.
May 1, 2023
Such a fun book! I don’t remember reading it when I was a child. I loved each of the characters, their personalities and the idea of living in a trolley car. This was just a fun, enjoyable story.
August 2, 2025
3.5 stars. This was such a sweet, wholesome story! I loved the light humor throughout.
October 3, 2022
We had a battered paperback copy of this when I was a kid which I read and re-read. I finally got brave enough the other day to join the Internet Archive and actually figured out how it works, and since I woke up this morning at 4 AM (don't ask me, I would be the last one to know) I read this from cover to cover.
Yum. It is as comforting as a bowl of chicken soup.
Written in the 1940s but set at a time when horses still pulled milk wagons and coal wagons and ice wagons, and when trolleys were just starting to be replaced by busses. It's a make-do, can-do American fantasy of do-it-yourself happiness. Going back to the land makes everyone happy, from grumpy Mr Jefferson to absent minded George. There is of course a huge dollop of coincidence, but hey, it's children's fiction from a time when adults wanted kids to read happy books that would encourage them to try their best and learn new hands-on skills. There's a definite scent of the end of the Depression here. Mom and Dad debate making bread and cake to sell, and even the possibility of turning the trolley car into a diner, with no reference to opening licences, hygiene laws or anything else.
It made me laugh that one of the hens produces fertile eggs apparently without a rooster around; it was written in 1947 after all! but one wonders why Clymer didn't leave that part out.
Yum. It is as comforting as a bowl of chicken soup.
Written in the 1940s but set at a time when horses still pulled milk wagons and coal wagons and ice wagons, and when trolleys were just starting to be replaced by busses. It's a make-do, can-do American fantasy of do-it-yourself happiness. Going back to the land makes everyone happy, from grumpy Mr Jefferson to absent minded George. There is of course a huge dollop of coincidence, but hey, it's children's fiction from a time when adults wanted kids to read happy books that would encourage them to try their best and learn new hands-on skills. There's a definite scent of the end of the Depression here. Mom and Dad debate making bread and cake to sell, and even the possibility of turning the trolley car into a diner, with no reference to opening licences, hygiene laws or anything else.
It made me laugh that one of the hens produces fertile eggs apparently without a rooster around; it was written in 1947 after all! but one wonders why Clymer didn't leave that part out.
October 5, 2016
This family consumed an astonishing amount of cake.
All said: I loved this as a child and I loved it as an adult. It had some outdated ideas about gender roles, but I think the cake made up for it. Also, the way the parents were smart and problem-solving, and the kids were valued contributors. And the trolley car diagram. And that it was acceptable to tie a kid to a trolley wheel like a chicken. Basically, you should read, if not own, this book.
All said: I loved this as a child and I loved it as an adult. It had some outdated ideas about gender roles, but I think the cake made up for it. Also, the way the parents were smart and problem-solving, and the kids were valued contributors. And the trolley car diagram. And that it was acceptable to tie a kid to a trolley wheel like a chicken. Basically, you should read, if not own, this book.
September 2, 2013
Cute story. Loved the trolley car diagram and all that cake. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it as a kid. Pa and Ma were a real couple and although I rolled my eyes at the Pa Is Boss chapter, I liked watching them negotiate things.
November 13, 2014
Very quick read - nicely done, simple with minor conflicts that are readily resolved. A little predictable for adults, but enjoyable nonetheless. They don't write 'em like this anymore, unfortunately.
December 20, 2010
Favorite book as a little kid!
April 2, 2016
one of my favorite childhood books of all time. Right up there with Boxcar Children.
January 5, 2013
A favorite book from my childhood that I recently came across. Reminded me a lot of the Boxcar Children!
March 21, 2014
Another childhood book I was obsessed with.
September 23, 2018
Excellent reading for children. It has everything a young person should want to hear about, good times and bad times turned into good times. And no garbage or werewolves.
January 25, 2021
Enjoyable story!
September 22, 2025
Reread of an old favorite. I love old books, and classic kids books are so much fun. The Parker family and Mr. Jefferson are awesome. Living in a trolley car just seems like it would be a lot of fun.
July 23, 2025
A family of six and their neighbor move from a small house in town to live inside a trolley car. Conveniently, they are allowed to live rent free by parking the trolley on land at the end of the rail line about 4.5 miles outside of town. There is a spring nearby and they're allowed to irrigate and to farm the land. The family enjoys this delightful new life in the country.
It was hard for me to buy the explanation of the family's right to live on the land. It said that the land was the trolley company's and they allowed them to live there. It was for a trolley barn, but that wasn't needed anymore.
Most public transportation services are public agencies that operate on public right of way. In the past, some trolley companies were private and owned land. I believe the private land may be tax exempt property due to the public transportation usage. If so, they wouldn't have the right to let a family live on the tax exempt land. If the land is taxed, the company would want to sell it to avoid expenses on surplus land.
Aside from my distraction about the land, it was an enjoyable story. I really like the idea of them living in a trolley car. There was actually a floor plan, showing the arrangement. I liked that it conveyed the transition period when trolleys were being replaced. I like that it included bicycle travel as well as horses. My favorite part was when people mistook the trolley as a restaurant. I've actually eaten at a restaurant in Eugene Oregon that used trolley cars for dining. Apparently, it's now the Old Spaghetti Factory.
It was hard for me to buy the explanation of the family's right to live on the land. It said that the land was the trolley company's and they allowed them to live there. It was for a trolley barn, but that wasn't needed anymore.
Most public transportation services are public agencies that operate on public right of way. In the past, some trolley companies were private and owned land. I believe the private land may be tax exempt property due to the public transportation usage. If so, they wouldn't have the right to let a family live on the tax exempt land. If the land is taxed, the company would want to sell it to avoid expenses on surplus land.
Aside from my distraction about the land, it was an enjoyable story. I really like the idea of them living in a trolley car. There was actually a floor plan, showing the arrangement. I liked that it conveyed the transition period when trolleys were being replaced. I like that it included bicycle travel as well as horses. My favorite part was when people mistook the trolley as a restaurant. I've actually eaten at a restaurant in Eugene Oregon that used trolley cars for dining. Apparently, it's now the Old Spaghetti Factory.
August 10, 2024
I found this at a book sale while searching for Boxcar Children books. While this one doesn't have a children-on-their-own theme, there are a few similarities. The family is charming, and even though it begins with Pa losing his job, the story still has a very upbeat feel. The family moves a trolley car to the country, treating the whole thing as an exciting adventure. They begin gathering livestock and planting gardens and all sorts of things they had never done in town. They even invite their grumpy neighbor to come along and to their surprise, he does. Though this could have been a story of hardship, it instead leads to growth and happiness in the family. I appreciated the healthy family relationships and the work ethic that it portrayed, and the description of how they fixed up the trolley car as a home is fun to read. A good kids' book.
September 17, 2025
To be honest, I didn’t actually finish the book. Instead I decided that I didn’t want to keep reading it and I set it aside.
It’s the saga of a family leaving town and choosing to begin homesteading. It’s a story of hardships being overcome with humor and patience.
The book was published in 1948, 20 years after The Boxcar Children. It’s hard not to compare the two. I think this story might be written for a slightly older audience.
It moves slowly, which might be a problem for modern kids. Then too, the average 9 year old today doesn’t know what trolley cars or milkmen were.
Still, I’d recommend it for reading aloud to your child or grandchild. It would open up lots of discussion possiblities.
It’s the saga of a family leaving town and choosing to begin homesteading. It’s a story of hardships being overcome with humor and patience.
The book was published in 1948, 20 years after The Boxcar Children. It’s hard not to compare the two. I think this story might be written for a slightly older audience.
It moves slowly, which might be a problem for modern kids. Then too, the average 9 year old today doesn’t know what trolley cars or milkmen were.
Still, I’d recommend it for reading aloud to your child or grandchild. It would open up lots of discussion possiblities.
March 5, 2023
Sometimes I pick up books from when I was a kid..whether it to be to cleanse my palate or whatever. This one was as wonderful as I remember it. Back when times were innocent, a family and their neighbor moved into a trolley car in the country. Well..the neighbor didn’t technically move in with them but came to visit for a few weeks and it turned his life around. The family collected friends and animals and it is just a feel good all over kind of ending. This is a book that I would love to read to my step kids if they were younger…but still I remember reading it over and over as a child and it made me happy.
May 20, 2024
I picked this book up at an antique/junk store a couple years ago. It's a sweet story written in 1947 about a family who converts a trolley car into their home. Tiny home living before it was a trend! Mr. Parker has lost his job as a trolley car driver, and the company offers him a month's pay or the trolley car. Mr. Parker opts for the trolley car, and the family's adventures begin with the help of their cranky neighbor Mr. Jefferson. It's a little long for the age demographic it would appeal to, especially now, but the chapters aren't overly long so it could be read aloud. Nostalgic and enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews