Hetty Grace Langford and Promontory Point was written for the classroom as much as for bedtime. The transcontinental railroad is one of the biggest stories in American history, and most kids have never heard of it. This book is a way in.
A free classroom guide is coming with the paperback in December 2026. It will include discussion questions for each chapter, a short lesson on the Golden Spike and why the railroad mattered, a map activity, and the first three chapters of the book to read aloud or hand out.
The guide will be free to download from this page. Check back in December, or buy the book and find the link in the back.
The book is a middle-grade novel for ages 8 to 12 (roughly grades 3 to 7), about 36,000 words, with a "What's True in This Book" section at the back that separates the history from the story.