The Polar Express
by Chris Van Allsburg · Grade K-3 · Ages Ages 4-8
On Christmas Eve, a boy hears a mysterious train stop outside his house. He climbs aboard the Polar Express, a magical train full of children traveling through the night toward the North Pole.
Key vocabulary
Polar means near the North Pole or South Pole, where it is very cold and icy.
An express train is a train that travels quickly and may not stop many times.
A conductor is the person in charge of a train who helps passengers and checks tickets.
Passengers are people riding in a vehicle, like a train, bus, or car.
Reindeer are deer with antlers that live in cold northern places.
A sleigh is a sled that glides over snow, often pulled by animals.
A harness is a set of straps used to connect an animal to something it pulls.
Elves are tiny magical helpers often found in Christmas stories.