Pictures by Margot Tomes

It’s been a month since I last posted a book review, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped reading! I’m working on my doctorate and have begun traveling a bit more again, so I viewed this past month as one for relaxation and rest. That means more reading but slightly less writing.

I chose to read this book by Carla Stevens a while back because of my drive to read anything I can access about life and events at the turn of the 20th century. When I first read the title to this book, Anna, Grandpa, and the Big Storm, I thought sure this must have been the same storm that Laura Ingalls Wilder endured in The Long Winter, which I believe was also infamously dubbed “The Children’s Blizzard,” for all of the Midwestern children it killed after catching them on their way home from school. But it’s not.

The storm described in this story is also an historical event, but it took place in New York City in 1888, not in the Midwest. When Stevens read reports of this blizzard in old newspapers, she was struck by the details of an Elevated Train stranded high up on the tracks, and the firemen’s recuse of the passengers despite the white-out. With such a fascinating account already in hand, Steven had only to plug in some interesting characters, and BOOM, she’s got herself an engaging children’s story! Pretty simple stuff, right!? And fascinating.

The characters she developed include Anna and her unexpectedly grumpy grandfather, a farmer visiting his family in the big city. When they go for a walk and get caught in the blizzard, they are among those stranded in the train. Their adventure only begins there, and the whole ordeal is one that changes grandpa’s view of the city and one that will stick with Anna for the rest of her life.

I can’t put my finger on any specific lesson that this story teaches other than how to overcome boredom and make the most out of any situation. Basically, it teaches readers to go out and find adventure, if it’s not already looking for you. For that reason, I’d compare it with another children’s story I read recently, One Day in the Woods. It’s worth a read, and it’s probably a good one to have in your home library for this year’s inevitable Snow-Day. Of course, with COVID-19, perhaps every day this winter will be a snow day! Better stock up your library now!

©2020 E.T.