The black man who approached from the rear of the gathering at my father's burial looked to be one hundred years old. He was frail, but not bent. He walked haltingly, supported by two black ... [+]
Susan loves history, mystery and science, and has published 8 picture books for children. "Whistle at First Light," which first appeared in Boy's Quest more than 20 years ago, was inspired by her father building a model train layout in his basement. It is now a part of Short Édition's series, The Current.
Originally published in Boy's Quest
There are mountains hidden downstairs in my grandpa's country house with craggy granite boulders no bigger than a mouse. Little trees of twigs and moss hug miniature ravines, where compact wooden shacks hold tiny people, small as beans. There, rattling through dark tunnels and clattering down the track, our model train is pulled behind a small engine, gleaming black. I sit beside my grandpa, perched high atop a stool, while he teaches me the basics of engineering school: When to throttle up on hills, or throttle back on curves, and how to slow the engine as it nears the town it serves.