Stop the Train!

Cissy Sissney #1

by Geraldine McCaughrean

Cissy Sissney and her family are staking their claim. Along with a handful of other entrepreneurs, they've stepped off the train into the brand-new town of Florence, Oklahoma, and started building a future.

But the president of the railroad says no more trains will stop in Florence -- ever. Without the railroad, the town can't survive. So it's up to Cissy, her family, friends, and neighbors to stop the train any way they can.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Childrens, Middle Grade, Adventure, Young Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Geraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004), the official sequel to Peter Pan commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the holder of Peter Pan's copyright. Her work has been translated into 44 languages worldwide. She has received the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award among others.

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cissy Sissney have come to Oklahoma Territory for the land rush. Cissy's father has no interest in farming but he dreams of owning a general store on Main Street filled with goods offloaded from the railroad right in the town of Florence. The only problem is Florence doesn't yet exist. Cissy's mother would rather be anywhere than there and when a stranger offers the would-be settlers $50 for their land on behalf of the railroad, Mrs. Sissney would jump at the chance. However, Cissy's father, and everyone else but one, refuses the generous offer. This infuriates the owner of the Red Rock Railroad and he decrees the train shall stop in Florence no more! Cissy believes in her father's dream but her mother is furious and wants to bring Cissy back to civilization. Will Florence die before it has a chance to grow? Will Cissy, her family and new friends die too without food or supplies? There must be some way to stop that train!

This story took awhile to get interesting. I skipped ahead to read the author's note, only to discover a small paragraph explaining the history of Enid, Oklahoma as a jumping off point. The rest of the story is pure fiction. She doesn't explain exactly what the story of Enid, Oklahoma is exactly or what made a British woman want to write about Oklahoma in the first place. Once I got into the story I stopped wishing for an author's note. The adventure gets pretty exciting but I disagreed with many of the tactics used to stop the train and I didn't like how the villainous characters were so completely bad. The twist at the end was a huge surprise I didn't see coming.

None of the characters are all that appealing. I want to like Cissy but she's a bit of a dreamer like her father. She's only 10 so I guess I can forgive her for believing her father without questioning. Cissy seems intelligent and full of common sense. She loves stories but isn't too interested in learning how to read. Fortunately for the adult reader, Cissy is not pitted against a "mean girl" stereotype. There are boy bullies to contend with but the main enemy is "Red Rock" Rimm, the railroad magnate and the Florentines must use their wits and strategy to stop the train.

Habakkuk "Kookie" Warboys is Cissy's best friend. He's a know-it-all kid that the other kids look to for information and directions. He's the ringleader of all their wild games. The only reason this kid is the font of knowledge is because he listens in on adult conversation and relays that to the other kids. If the others, including Cissy, also bothered to pay attention, they'd know what was going on. The other kids act like sheep blindly following Kookie. In contrast, Fuller and Petie Monterey are the two boys everyone avoids because they are the worst bullies. Petie seems to have a conscience if not a brain but Fuller is completely beyond being a bad kid. He is a despicable human being and not even his horrible father would stoop so low as to do what Fuller did. I was appalled and don't blame the other person for wanting to kill Jack Monterey in a duel.

The main set of characters centers around Class 3 led by Mrs. Loucien Shades. "Miss Loucien" as the kids call her, is a Native American woman who comes to Oklahoma for an opportunity and loses that opportunity. She has no choice but to become the teacher and she ends up as a darn good one - EXCEPT for her lack of teaching of actual academic subjects. Yes she teaches the children life skills and makes learning fun but they're supposed to be learning how to read and write. I understood right away why she wasn't teaching what she was supposed to. I like how she teaches but unfortunately that's not how schools operate. Her students adore her for all her unconventionality. The men seem to adore her too. The best kids in the school are Tibbie Boden and Honey. I like Tibbie because she's sweet and quiet. She's a bit timid because she's being bullied. I don't believe she has a mother and her father may spoil her a bit. She is always kind and caring. Sweet little Honey is the youngest child in the school. She's cute but some of her story is rather dark. Yikes on her feelings about being bad.

The adult characters vary widely but all are quirky. I like the coffin maker's nephew, Frank Tate. A cabinet maker by trade, he comes up with the most ingenious uses for coffins. He is always kind and thoughtful. If he wasn't so shy he may be more popular. Another quirky character who is larger than life is Everett Crew. He's an actor with a traveling troupe and reminds me of someone I know. Everett is always theatrical and brings a bit of Shakespeare to Florence. Cissy's father Hulbert, is popular but I have mixed feelings about him. Like Cissy's mother, I think, he's a dreamer. I do appreciate his big dreams and his faith in Florence but he doesn't have the money to be a dreamer. I admire his principles and his practices but also think he needed to have some way of supporting his family n the meantime. Perhaps he should have gone to check things out himself without his family. Cissy's mother comes across as a nasty, bitter woman. If they're so unsuited, how did they even marry in the first place? Cissy's mother is a lot more sympathetic for the adult reader understanding her concerns over her family's well-being and their future. Hulbert is sort of a Bronson Alcott type so I really don't blame Cissy's mother for being upset. I don't know why she stayed with her husband and didn't take Cissy and leave him when he decided to go to Oklahoma. She could easily say he died in Oklahoma or he abandoned them and while that would be scandalous, it would be better than starving to death.

This story is best for readers in the 11-13 age range. It's a bit violent and intense for younger readers but less sensitive advanced 9-10 year olds would probably enjoy the story.

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a while I thought this was going to be a politicized version of The Railway Children. Instead of kids waving their red petticoats in the air to stop a train in an act of humanitarian initiative and then receiving a reward as brave children of Britain and the Empire, we would have a gang of pioneer ragazzi plotting to save democracy and overthrow capitalist corruption. It didn't quite work out that way, though the children were involved up to the end. The adults did the plotting and the scheming and a fine bunch of characters they turned out to be.

The good people of Florence, Oklahoma had bought their plots of land from the Government, nicely situated near the Red Rock Railway Company's rail line. All they had to do first was build Florence from scratch and establish its businesses, shops and surrounding farms. That would be difficult enough. They really didn't need Clifford T. Rimm, chairman of the railway company, to decide he wanted them to go elsewhere so he could use the site to build his railyards and repair shops. When the townspeople refused to budge, Rimm told them his trains would no longer call at Florence. The story is the people's fight to retain their rights and force the trains to stop at Florence's station.

While the leading characters should be Cissy Sissney and her father Hulbert - Cissy's name gives her friend Kookie the best line in the book: "That's not a name. It's a sneeze" - they struggle to stay centre stage against Kookie (Habakkuk) Warboys, a sort of Tom Sawyer, and the wonderful Mrs Loucien Shades who for a while becomes Florence's schoolmarm. She can teach the children how to harness a horse, change a baby's diaper, splice a rope or skin a rabbit; reading, writing and arithmetic not so much. There is a great deal of humour in the book and it will open many eyes to the life of children on the American frontier.

Some diversity appears: one Black character who is treated with dignity and one Native American who lives as a stranger in what was once his own land. It is an area that could have been expanded to show the mixture of nationalities that filled the West. I am not convinced that having a Swedish baker and a Welshman with an unspecified trade surrounded by American born Easterners does justice to reality.

It is a lively story with enough action and adventure to balance against the machinations and trials of the adult world and keep a younger audience entertained and informed. Recommended.

[Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Stop the Train’ is the sort of book that parents wish their children want to read. It is well written and full of the worthy sentiments of community spirit and respecting diversity. Unfortunately it is not exactly the white knuckle ride the title suggests, but more of a leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood of Florence making the acquaintance of the myriad characters who have pinned their hopes of a better life on the plot of land they claim as their own. After refusing to sell up to the local railway magnate, their dreams of a more prosperous life are derailed, as the railway boss refuses to stop his train in the town, thus depriving it of the lifeblood of commerce. Undeterred, the inhabitants resort to desperate measures ranging from kidnap to sabotage to prevent the train from whizzing through their backwater and preventing its development.
The book teems with so many characters that it is difficult to form any significant attachment to any of them. Plot is subservient to the theme of working together and forgetting differences in the face of adversity. On the plus side, the humour hits the spot with the (married) telegraph owner who tries to economise by buying a single bed and ending up with more mouths to feed, and quips such as ‘Never shoot a man whose kin can afford a lawyer.’ I also enjoyed the inauguration of the new bank with account number ‘00000001’. How funny young readers will find this sort of joke however I’m not sure.
With her mastery of language, it is no surprise that Geraldine McCreaghan has won plaudits, awards and the respect of the critics. Whether children will be as impressed as teachers and librarians is open to debate.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It's about a small group of people trying to start up a town on the vast emptiness of Oklahoma. They are a railroad town, but do to certain circumstances the owner of the railroad is set against them and refuses to stop the train there. The book is how they grow as a community and the many schemes they come up with to try and stop the train!
Great characters, great story.
Just a note though, being a "mormon" myself I was surprised to learn that "Herman the Mormon" doesn't believe in using money. He can only barter for what he gets. There were a few other interesting things about Herman, that I didn't know we mormons did. Always good to be updated. :)

[Kelli Grosnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE, LOVE this book!!! I recommend it to everyone. It is certainly one of a kind!!!

[Kira Nerys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library to see if I'd read it before, and the answer: yes. From the moment Cissy started picturing what Florence would look like, I knew I'd stumbled across this story of the western frontier before. Its characters are lively and diverse, dedicated and hardworking, struggling to get by in this middle-of-nowhere location. They come from all backgrounds and ways of life, each bringing some fragment of the "American Dream" with them to Oklahoma. I appreciated how McCaughrean, despite writing a novel I can say such cliche, supposedly-patriotic things about, paired this celebration of the "American Spirit" with female characters who contribute just as much as the men; with settlers of multiple religions living side by side; with Native Americans who've now been displaced a second time. Those Native Americans--the Ponca--have children who teach Florence's children what they know about living in Oklahoma. They play alongside each other, even though the adult communities rarely interact. For a novel that focuses on settling the western frontier, McCaughrean does a good job of pointing out some of the overlooked realities, forgotten hardships, and social complexities that characterized their experience.

Of course, the book holds together so well because of the constant refrain: stop the train! Without it, the settlers know their time is limited. Fresh food and resources become much more difficult to get; new settlers and businesses won't move to the town; Florence won't survive. This goal gives the book, which paints portraits of a surprisingly large cast of characters, a focus and a suspenseful story arc. Will it stop? What will happen to the Florentines? You'll have to read to the end to find out!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel may not be an obvious choice for a teenage reader, being set in the wilderness of Oklahoma during the westward migration of American settlers in the 1890s. However, McCaughrean’s humorous descriptions of her intriguing ensemble cast are immediately endearing and you quickly find yourself rooting for the families who have staked their claims and their hopes in the brand new town of Florence. The personal hardships and small triumphs of individual characters are certainly moving, but the main conflict of the novel, the town’s struggle to lift the rail boycott placed upon it by a ruthless railroad company, provides suspense and excitement as the townspeople go to greater and greater lengths to stop the train that is the key to their survival. This book is an accessible and gripping introduction to the diversity of nineteenth century American culture, featuring ex-slaves, Mormons, European immigrants, cowboys, sheriffs, sassy schoolmarms, travelling actors and greedy capitalists.

The English teacher verdict: would I recommend this to my students? Yes - it might be a hard sell though!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Funny and thoughtful frontier story of a struggling town trying to get the stubborn railroad company to make their town a train station. Cute. Appropriate for youths 12 and up. Maybe as young as 10 but there are some scary train moments of peril. Loved the one character, Herman the Mormon; a silly but harmless caricature of my forefathers.

[Debbie Stahmann]

I like Geraldine McCaughrean's books, but this one was just too slow for me. Although I liked the setting and time period (Oklahoma during the land rush era), it wasn't well-written enough to commit any more time to it. On to another book!

[Drmkk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find I like young adult fiction best or maybe it's historical fiction. This crazy story about a map dot town that gets missed by the railroad and will surely die without it is kept alive by the pure determination of it's hodgepodge settlers.

[The Mememaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitap çok neşeli ve eğlenceli, okurken çok keyif aldım ve yaşı fark etmeksizin herkese tavsiye ediyorum.

[Candy Gourlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

An undiscovered gem.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Land ravenous, the Americans began to congregate around the borders of the territory.

They would be known to history as the “Boomers”. There are no less than 50,000 of them!

Just ten minutes prior to noon on April 22, at Fort Reno on the western border, soldiers call for everyone to form a line.

When the clock strikes 12, a cannon rumbles, and the soldiers signal the start.

The Boomers, stream into the territory in wagons, on horseback and on foot……..

But many are astonished to find that when they have reached their chosen localities, there are people there before them.

It is implicit that they have entered before the prearranged time.

This would cause many a land lawsuit in the future.

The pre-arrived would be designated in history as the “Sooners”.

By the end of the day, Oklahoma City would have around 10,000 people…….

It is centering the Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893 that the narrative commences.

An assemblage of settlers decides not to sell their land to the gluttonous railroad moguls.

When the president of the Red Rock Railroad Company refuses to let the train stop at the new town of Florence, the settlers do the whole lot in their power—together with tying a child to the tracks—to overturn that pronouncement.

Are they able to save their town?

Are they successful in preserving and making good of their investment in a new life.

Speedy and humorous, this book recounts an obscure account of how the train forever changed the West — and how it virtually smashed the town of Enid, Oklahoma.

With uncontrollably frenzied action and adventure, the characters move the plot forward in this wacky historical work of fiction.

[Tara Macpherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stop the Train by Geraldine McCaughrean tells the story of a new settlement in Oklahoma in the 1890s being threatened by a railroad company who, because they want to own the land, boycott the train making a stop in the new town. Told through the eyes of resilient Cissy, its a story about community, bravery and perseverance. I read this years ago in school and remember being one of the only people who enjoyed the book. The characters feel very real, a few favourites are Cissy's father, the actor Emmett Crew, Loucien and Monday Morning.
Something that hasn't aged well is the use of certain slurs in a book targeted for a younger demographic. While thankfully they aren't used frequently, it was particularly uncomfortable to learn this was written in 2001. If this makes you reluctant to give this a read, I do understand.

[Alistair Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a book! A good story, which manages to be both light-hearted and gritty - a great balancing act which provides a sweet and sour meal for the reader. It's aimed at 11 to 14 year olds, I'd say, but, as an adult, I often enjoy books for that age bracket because of their pace and energy... Its strengths are its lovable underdog characters, its madcap plot and its rich and lively narrative. There is a subtly wry humour, too. I really enjoyed the adventures of the people of Florence, Oklahoma, seen at turns through the eyes of its adults and children. If you like reads with a historical or a pioneer flavour, you'll enjoy this.

[Sarah Bodaly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of a town in the Oklahoma Land Rush that would stop at nothing for the train to once again stop at their settlement. The characters were engaging, the plot never stagnant. The story, by an English author, is loosely based off of real accounts set during this adventurous time in America's past. Many of the characters are free with their speech, however, and the amount of cursing quite surprised me. This book would have rated five stars were it not for the language.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2* The Wild West of America holds little new or interesting for me at my advanced age, but I found this in the clear-out-the-books drive and have been (re) reading books as I prepare to pass them on. It was well done, there was drama and all. Probably great for a 10-12 year old who doesn't know much about the scary times in Oklahoma at the end of the 19th century. She certainly ticked all of the boxes....

Ah, and there we go - it's a 9-11 year old book!

[Robin Irvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun historical fiction

[Lucy Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grilling at first but I just found myself getting bored towards the end

[Sara Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining children's book which has a good story, likeable characters and is a quick read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nearly five stars. A slow start but by the end I had fallen in love with all the characters.

[Sharon Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audiobook is great! Multiple voices! Great acting! What is a town to do when the train is going to pass them by?!? Creative solutions!!

[Kotai Gyuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meteor Press 2019

[Bertina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical Fiction

[Lisa Hgmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to audio version while working around the house. The cast on the audiobook made it delightful. It is based on a true event in OK in the late 1800s with land owners and the railway.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book on the settlement of western Oklahoma. For those studying Oklahoma history with their children this book would go great with “The Thundering Prairie” by M.A. Hancock which I read as a child. Both are on the settlement of Oklahoma, just different parts.

[Njalla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voi noita rajaseutujen ihmisiä!
Vähän tuli mieleen Pieni talo preerialla, vaikka meno ja meininki oli ihan erilaista. Kaipa se on vaan se eristäytyneisyys ja Yhdysvaltojen pienet kaupunkipahaset valtavien välimatkojen päässä toisistaan.

Kirja alkaa junasta, kun vaunulastillinen ihmisiä on menossa rakentamaan pientä Firenzen kaupunkia. Kaupunkia ei edes ole vielä olemassa muualla kuin paperilla. Ja pienen Cissyn ja Cissyn isän mielikuvituksessa.

Ensin kohoaa telttakylä ja sitten pikkuhiljaa hirsitaloja.
Rautatieyhtiö haluaa ostaa kaikki tontit ja ihmiset pois kaupungista, mutta koska ihmiset nyt vaan on itsepäistä sorttia olevia, ei siitä mitään tule. Ja siksi rautatieyhtiö kostaa eikä juna enää pysähdy kaupunkiin.

Kaupungista pääsee pois vain postivaunuilla- tai kävelemällä. Ja alunperin kaupungin piti olla rautatiekaupunki!
Sitten ihmiset keksii että pysäytetään juna, ja siinäpä sitä sitten riittää äksöniä pitkän talven ajaksi. Aikuiset suunnittelee junan pysäytystä, ja lapset opiskelee kouluksi muutetussa kirkossa kaikenlaista jännää. Kuten että miten kyyhky kynitään ja miten sytytetään nuotio.
Koulu on sillä lailla hauska, ettei opettajakaan osaa lukea, mutta se ei ketään hidasta. Kaupunkilaiset käyvät opettamassa omaa erikoisalaansa lapsille, kuten morsetusta, raajojen kipsaamista, vaippojen vaihtoa ja lapsen hätäkasteen suorittamista. Kaikenlaista mitä sitä nyt voi sattua rajaseudulla eläessään tarvitsemaan.

Täytyy myöntää, ettei näiltä ihmisiltä puutu mielikuvitusta, kun ne yrittää pysäyttää junaa. Sitä ammuskellaan ja se yritetään vallata (kehnolla menestyksellä), ja lopulta se myös saadaan pysähtymään. Mutta se, onko siitä enemmän haittaa vai hyötyä, onkin sitten ihan eri juttu...

[Miss Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

gr 5-8 287 pgs


1893, Florence, Oklahoma. Along with other settlers participating in the Oklahoma Land Rush, Cissy and her family take the train out to the future site of the town of Florence. Promised land and a town where the train stops, the settlers quickly claim land and begin to build the town. When the find themselves in a feud with the owner of the Red Rock Runner Railroad, they are furious to learn that the owner is refusing to have the train stop there. Without the railroad the town to be is doomed. The settlers are determined to stop the train and save their town.

Great story. Would appeal to readers who enjoy colorful characters similar to Richard Peck's books. Longer story but worthwhile read

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A railroad could make or break a new town. And a bit of pettiness quickly explodes to threaten one new town on the Oklahoma frontier.
Lots of fun characters, all in Florence for different reasons. There attempts to stop the train are both humorous and terrifying, and at times, the whole thing seems just a bit far-fetched. Plenty of good stuff to talk about, but not quite a new classic.

Supposedly based a bit on Enid, OK's history, but a quick glance reveals that any connection is loose indeed. Does remind me a bit of the history of Jefferson, TX--large inland port, but Jay Gould refused to run the train line through, so the town shriveled but didn't quite die.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those gems I only found out about because I've been trying to read the books on ALSC's Children's Notable Lists from recent years. I liked almost everything about the story, especially the over-the-top characters. I couldn't figure out Herman the Mormon, though. What was up with his aversion to money? That isn't a Mormon trait or belief - early Mormons would not have relied on bartering to get a train ticket. Oh well, though. He was a good addition, if a bit strange. Perhaps Ms. McCaughrean made him Mormon simply because she wanted a religious character and needed to explain why he would be trying to get so far out west on the train?