I.

TITLE

STOP THE TRAIN

- The story is about 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. The title fits because the story evolves on how the people will stop the train. The Railroad
company refuse to stop their train in Florence because the people refused to accept the payment and
leave the town. The town’s people help each other to survive in that town with their own hope and
will.

GERALDINE MCCAUGHREAN
- is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 160 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 45 languages worldwide.

II. SETTING

FRONTIER AMERICA, FLORENCE, OHIO 1912

- The town Cissy expects to be a wonderful town wherein there are clapboard church, a double fronted
shop, boardwalks shaded by overhanging eaves, hitching rails, a schoolyard. It had to be better than
the filthy rooming-house they had left behind in Arkansas. Cissy together with her family and other
settlers try their best to build a new life in there.

III. CHARACTERS

CISSY SISSNEY – (protagonist) the daughter of the grocery man, Hulbert Sissney and Hildy
Sissney. She hopes for a much better home in Florence but only an empty town welcome her. But
despite of that, she tried to live her life with full of hopes and laughter together with her friend Kookie
and other children who decided to stay in Florence.

HULBERT SISSNEY – father of Cissy. A grocery man who never quit and always believe that there
is life in Florence. Even though her wife leave him because of his belief, he continue to live with her
daughter and to be a good citizen of their town.

HABAKKUK WARBOYS – also known as Kookie. He’s the first friend of Cissy who he met in the
river while fetching some water. He’s like Cissy who loves to explore new things and never lose hope
about life. His eagerness to help the town lead him to be lost with the Mormon and the cabinet maker
in the dessert.
 CLIFFORD T. RIMM – (antagonist) Chairman of the Red Rock Railroad Company who ordered his
son to bribe the town’s people to leave Florence and when they refused, he never let his train stop
again in Florence.

MRS. LOUCIEN SHADES – a widow, who became a candidate for the baker’s wife position. When
she was rejected by the baker, she full-heartedly accept the position as the teacher of the young
children of Florence.

JAKE MONTEREY and HERMAN THE MORMON – Jake is the rancher who has lost his land
while Herman is a signwriter en route for Salt Lake City. They are the ones who hijack the train so
that the passengers could stop by Florence and could see the town and what it really likes.

IV. PLOT

 Cissy Sissney, together with her family, rode to Florence, Ohio with a third class ticket. She hopes for
a much better town compared to the last one that they had left.

 The train arrived at Florence and they saw nothing but an empty town. Despite of that, most of the
people start to build their own life.

 Mr. Sissney build their own grocery store, someone’s a lawyer, a builder, an oculist and otologist, a
baker, a barber, a telegrapher, a bootmaker and a lampmaker.

 A man named Nathaniel Rimm approached Sissney Family and offer a 50 dollars in exchange of their
land but as Mr. Sissney knew that everyone in town refused the offer, he did the same.

 While everyone is busy about their own businesses, the baker’s wife died and everyone in town
mourn. Another reason for everyone to stick to their decisions in not leaving the town.

 As the result of everyone’s rejection, Mr. Rimm, owner of the Red Rock Railroad Company,
announced that his train will never ever stop again in Florence.

 Everyone in town starts to create a plan on how they can stop the train but each plan always fails.
 The baker went to the telegrapher to make an announcement about him finding a suitable wife and in
the same time, the announcement of finding a teacher for a plan of building a school for the young
children of the town.

 Two women arrived, a widow and a single woman. The baker chose the single woman because of it’s
cold hands which is suitable for a baker. While the widow, became the teacher of the young children.
 Nathaniel Rimm and Mr. Monday Morning decides to build a publishing company and publish a
newspaper for the town.

 A Theatre Company arrived and gave the towns people a great play.

 A newspaper arrives in town and something bad about Florence was written on it. As Hildy Sissney
got the news, she talk to her husband and packed their things. She asked Hulbert to leave the town but
her husband refuse. Even Cissy didn’t want to go. Hildy leave the town alone.

 Another plan has been executed to stop the train but it never succeeds. Until Herman and Frank Tate
volunteers to leave the town and ride a train from the next terminal. They plan to distribute some
flyers about how wonderful Florence is.

 Kookie survive to sneak out and go with Herman and Tate in the train. He’s the one who leads the
distribution and flyers. But when the cabin crew of the train discovered who they are, the three of
them has been thrown outside the train and nowhere to be found.

 With the help of Morse code, Kookie and the two men rescued by Warboys and Boden rescued them.

 The schoolmistress assigned each of her student to collect some things that can be auctioned in
exchange of the fare that will be given to the pastor that will be coming to town.

 While Cissy is trying to find some honeycomb together with Kookie. She was chase by the bees.
Kookie tried to help her but they both ended up running up to the railways where they spotted Tibbie
being tied up both hands and feet at the railings.

 Tibbie was crying for help. Both Kookie and Cissy can’t untie the rope because it’s too tight. Until
they saw Peat staring at them.

 Peat told them that Fuller is the mastermind. That that was the plan to make the train stop.

 They all heard the sound of the incoming train. Cissy ride one of the ponies and tried to stop the train
and she wave her bandana to give a signal. But it seems that the captain misunderstood.

 The captain tought that the kids only wants to fool him. That when the train goes nearer, the children
will run away from the railings.

 Kookie tried to burn the rope with the help of the glass and the sunrays but nothing happen. Because
of his frustration, he throw the glass that made it broken.

 Kookie tried to untie the rope with the help of a piece of broken glass.

 The train continues to run and it’s almost a few feet away before it runs out the children. Kookie
successfully untie the rope and he help Tibbie move away to the railings.
 Mrs. Shades worried why Tibbie and the other children was not yet in the school. She heard the
incoming train that gave her the idea that maybe the children tried to stop the train. That’s where she
saw the four children and Tibbie already fainted because of shocked.

 Fuller was held to jail because of the incident.

 The auction continues. Each town people, led by the sheriff, choose what they want to buy. The
money that will be collected will be given to the new pastor for the church.

 Then Honey, the little girl, suggested to Mrs. Shades to show the town to the passengers by borrowing
the train.

 The town people agreed to hijack the train. Nathaniel Rimm and some other men volunteer to be the
one who will jump off the train.

 The day the train came, and they successfully hijack it.

 The passengers took a break in Florence and the Florentines welcome and guide them around the
town where everyone prepared a little something in each of every home. Everyone probably enjoy the
trip.

 The following day, the train didn’t stop that the Florentines had a doubt.

 Honey was killed by the train.

 The Florentines took their revenge by breaking the railings of the railroad but when they discovered
that Honey is alive, they regret what they did and took everything they can to fix the railroad.

 The next few days, a Sheriff arrived in town. Everyone is shocked when Mr. Warboys was arrested
because of the morse code, Monterey and Boden was accused of being dead because of the gun fight
and the incident in the railroad has been informed to the Sherriff.

 They discovered that Mr. Crew betrayed them so they locked them somewhere.

 The people in another town send a petition, documents, request to the Red Rock Railroad Company to
make the train stop at Florence. Mr. Rimm was not happy about it but when the amount of people
who wants it to happen grew larger, and the investors join in, he has no other choice but to make the
train stop.

 Mrs. Shades and Sheriff Klemme will going to be married.

 Monday Morning change his name to Sunday Morning and the town Florence became Olive.

 Before the wedding, they discovered that Mr. Klemme already has a wife and children, that he is the
true traitor and not Mr. Crew.

 Hulbert realizes that Mrs. Shades loves Mr. Crew. So she send her daughter to the station to deliver
his message.
  The town regain its joy. Jake Monterey became the new sheriff. Mrs. Shades became Mrs. Crew and
they lived somewhere else. Miss May who applied for being the new teacher were being hate by the
children because of reading and sums.

 So, after all, the train continues to stop.

V. THEME

Stop the train evolves on how the town people make the train stop. Because of the greedy Chairman
of Red Rock Railroad Company, the train refused to stop in Florence that caused the town to be
unstable. The people contribute on how they could plan. They already failed too many times but the
will of the people to live their give them hopes. They always knew that there is life in Florence.

VI. TONE

The townspeople’s desperation is the key to their success. From the very beginning, they always hope
for a better living in that town. Even though it was an empty town, they push themselves to build a
new one. With the help of each other, they showed to Mr. Rimm that no one could stop them in living
in Florence. They has the will to move forward and make a better living despite of the hardships and
failures.

VII. MOOD

At first, I though the story was boring because it happened to start in a train with tired people and
disappointment will welcome you. But as the story goes, each character portrays more than what you
will expect. It’s a life story but it will make you read more because every page has its entertaining
concept. The will of the people to live better will touch you. The funny, subtle and eventful novel that
is worth to read.

VIII. LESSON LEARNED

By reading this selection, I learned that it’s not who you are but how far will you go to reach or get
what you want. It’s not about your status nor your capability in life, it’s about the hope and will in
you to succeed. Giving up just because it’s too hard or you’re just thinking that there’s no way you
can do is not a choice. If you really want something to happen, then make it happen. Always choosing
the easy life leads you nowhere. If you want to live, then live. If you keep on ranting about you being
too low or too poor, then do something. Success starts in pursuing and not in giving up.
IX. IMPLICATION

One of my goal in life is to become something else. Something I really want. And this novel taught
me that if I want to achieve something, then I must do something. I will not get it if I keep on being
the old me who took things easy. After reading this, I told myself that I will be like those town people
who never give up despite that failures they had experience. I will study hard and motivate myself to
reach what I really want.

X. SUMMARY

Cissy Sissney, together with her family, rode to Florence, Ohio with a third class ticket. She
could imagine the town who has a clapboard church, a double-fronted shop, boardwalks shaded by
overhanging eaves, hitching rails and a schoolyard. It had to be better than the filthy rooming house
they had left in Arkansas, with its rats in the basement and its flies in the milk. The train arrived at
Florence and they saw nothing but an empty town. Cissy felt disappointed but still accept the fact that
it will be their new home now. Despite of that, most of the people start to build their own life.
Mr. Hulbert Sissney, father of Cissy, invest for some kilos of beans and build their own
grocery store. Someone named Emile Klemme build a law office, a builder, Lloyd Lentz who is a
oculist and otologist build a clinic, Sven Magnusson together with his wife Lotte build a bakery,
Charlie Quex who build a barber shop, Pickar Warboys who has a telegraph office, Virgil Hobbs who
loves to make boots, and a lampmaker named Jim Fudd. They all build their new life in Florence.
One day, a man named Nathaniel Rimm approached Hulbert Sissney and offer a 50 dollar in
exchange of their land. He almost accept the offer when her daughter, Cissy (who met Kookie in the
river while fetching some water, and this Kookie told him that everyone refuses to accept the offer),
run to him and told him that everyone in town refused the offer, he gave the money back to the young
man. He also refused because he knows that there is something in that town that’s why this young
man wants to own it.
While everyone is busy about their own businesses, the baker’s wife died and everyone in
town mourn. After the wake, Nathaniel Rimm came and talk to the town people about how sorry he
was. He also explained that it was not him who wants them to leave but his father, the chairman of the
Red Rock Railroad Company. Despite of his explanation, the people still stick to their decision. They
don’t want to leave Florence. As the result, Nathaniel Rimm followed some announcement. His father
wants to tell them that the train will never stop in Florence ever again.
Everyone was shocked. They almost lose hope but some people tried to pursue everyone to
create a plan on how they can stop the train. They first try to put some kind of oil in the railways but
as the train goes with it, it causes fire that lead to the passengers to evacuate the train. First attempt
was failed.
Another day passed by. The baker went to the telegrapher to make an announcement about
him finding a suitable wife. At first, the telegrapher was surprised, and he doesn’t want to do it
because it sounds unfair and unlawful, but because of money, he accepted the offer of the baker. At
the same time, the town people decided to build a school for the young children like Cissy and
Kookie. They realized that the children should learn more and not just playing around the town.
 The next day, two women arrived at Florence, a widow and a single woman, who are willing
to be the new wife of the baker. The baker observe the two quietly than he reach both of their hands.
Not for long, he chose the single woman because of it’s cold hands which is suitable for a baker. The
widow became lonely but when the children approach her and told her that they need a teacher for
them to learn, she whole-heartedly accept it. Since then, she teach the children every day about
general things.
Another day, Nathaniel Rimm approaches Monday Morning about it’s life. And when
Nathaniel discover that Mr. Morning works in a library and loves to write, he immediately offer him
to be a typesetter in his soon to be publishing house. Mr. Morning doesn’t even bother to think twice
and accept the offer excitedly.
Everett Crew together with his whole theater company arrives at Florence one morning. They
offer the town people a good show for them to be entertained. The people help them to build a stage
near the school-church yard. They perform a play wherein it was full of tragic scenes that cause the
people of Florence to freak out. Everett has to explain that everything was made from fiction and it
was just a play for the people to calm down.
One morning, a newspaper arrives in town and something bad about Florence was written on it.
As Hildy Sissney got the news, she talk to her husband and packed their things. She asked Hulbert to
leave the town, but her husband refuse. Even Cissy didn’t want to go. Hildy didn’t think twice to
leave the town alone.
Another plan for the train to stop but it didn’t succeed. Until one day, someone suggest printing a
flyers about the town. Everyone agreed so the telegrapher together with the typesetter print a flyer
that shows and explain how beautiful Florence is. Herman the Mormon and Frank Tate volunteers to
go to another town to distribute the said flyers. They rode a train carefully to not be discovered. Until
Kookie, the young boy, showed up who sneak out in the cabin to secretly come along with the two
men. Tate and Herman don’t have any choice but to bring alone the child.
As they are riding the train, someone in the passengers talk about Florence and Kookie
surprisingly join the conversation. He explain that Florence is worth-seeing and there has a lot of
things they can do. He also happily distribute some of the flyers that made the two men stop him. One
wrong move and they can be thrown away because of what Kookie did. But they couldn’t stop the
young boy so they sees the moment to distribute the flyers to all the passengers in the train.
As the passengers took the flyers, some of them never look at it, tore it as they read Florence or
make fun of it then throw it away. The two young man almost lose hope, but then a flyer falls down
from one of their hands and the cabin crew of the train pick it up. They was ask if they are from
Florence and Kookie answered it ‘yes’. The captain laugh so hard sarcastically and give them two
options. They will jump outside the train or they will be shoot and just thrown away.
Kookie leads the way. He jumped off the train and Tate follows leaving behind Herman the
Mormon. They lost consciousness and woke up at the side of the railways not knowing where they
are. They spotted Herman just a few meters away.
They walk and walk and walk but they couldn’t find any sign of Florence until they talk about
Morse code. With the help of their ideas, they able to send a message to Kookie’s father and they
were rescued.
One day, the schoolmistress assigned each of her student to collect some things that can be
auctioned in exchange of the fare that will be given to the pastor that will be coming to town.
 Cissy decided to go home to get some beans. This will be her donation for the auction. But
when she arrived, she saw her father staring at the floor where coffee, sand and gravel scattered. She
asked him what’s wrong and she saw anger in his eyes. Her father told her that he was fooled in
Medford. That they lost everything. Cissy hug her father and told him that they should see her mother
because of what happened. After thing. Cissy decided to go near the river to collect something aside
from beans.
While Cissy is trying to find some honeycomb together with Kookie. She was chase by the
bees. Kookie tried to help her but they both ended up running up to the railways where they spotted
Tibbie being tied up both hands and feet at the railings.
Tibbie was crying for help. Both Kookie and Cissy can’t untie the rope because it’s too tight.
Until they saw Peat staring at them. Peat told them that Fuller is the mastermind. That that was the
plan to make the train stop. That when the driver of the train saw Tibbie tied in the railroad, it will
forcefully stop.
They all heard the sound of the incoming train. Cissy ride one of the ponies and tried to stop
the train and she wave her bandana to give a signal. But it seems that the captain misunderstood. The
captain tought that the kids only want to fool him. That when the train goes nearer, the children will
run away from the railings. That they should teach some lesson.
Kookie remember the teachings of Mrs. Shades about making fire using a glass and the
sunrays. He tried to burn the rope with the help of the glass and the sunrays but nothing happen.
Because of his frustration, he throws the glass that made it broken.
Kookie almost loses his hope. Seeing Tibbie cried for help and thinking he couldn’t save her
really breaks his heart. While staring at the shattered glass, an idea pop in his head. He tried to untie
the rope with the help of a piece of the sharpness of the broken glass.
The train continues to run and it’s almost a few feet away before it runs out the children.
Kookie successfully untie the rope and he help Tibbie move away to the railings.
Mrs. Shades worried why Tibbie and the other children was not yet in school. She heard the
incoming train that gave her the idea that maybe the children tried to stop the train. That’s where she
saw the four children and Tibbie who already fainted because of shocked. She asked what happened
and Kookie explained everything to her.
Mrs. Shades request to Sheriff Klemme to locked Fuller in his care because of what he did. At
first, Sheriff Klemme don’t want to but everyone agrees that Fuller should learn some lesson.
The auction continues. Each town people, led by the sheriff, choose what they want to buy.
The money that will be collected will be given to the new pastor of the church that will arrived soon.
Then Honey, the little girl, suggested to Mrs. Shades to show the town to the passengers by
borrowing the train. Everyone was surprised, and they first taught that it was a sin to steal a train. But
Honey explain that they will only borrow it and nothing is bad about that.
The town people agreed to hijack the train. Nathaniel Rimm and some other men volunteer to
be the one who will jump off the train. The day the train came. Peter Bull, the driver of the train, was
bitten by them. They also convinced that passengers to take time and check out the town for some
festivities.
The passengers took a break in Florence and the Florentines welcome and guide them around
the town where everyone prepared a little something in each of every home. Everyone probably enjoy
the trip that even Peter Bull receive a refreshing bath from them.
 The following day, the train didn’t stop that the Florentines had a doubt. Until they read an
article about Mr. Rimm in the newspaper. The article tells that Mr. Rimm has no reason to make the
train stop at Florence and that there will be assurance that it will never happen again.
One day, everyone got worried about Honey because nobody saw her since morning. Mrs.
Shades tried to find her and the one of the children run to her who was holding a trumpet that Honey
owned. The child told her that he saw it near the railroad wherein he saw Honey standing near it as
the train approach her. Everyone was shocked and don’t even know what should react. They all taught
that Honey was killed by the train.
The Florentines took their revenge by breaking the railings of the railroad. Cissy and the other
children tried to stop the elders, but nobody is listening. As the town people started breaking the
railways, Honey run from somewhere and goes straight to Mrs. Shades. She explained how a villager
saved her life.
Everyone heard the incoming train. They regretted what they have done and tried to fix the
railways, but it seems its not easy to do. They tried every possible solution to fix it. And the train
successfully cross their town.
The next few days, a Sheriff arrived in town. Everyone is shocked when Mr. Warboys was
arrested because of the morse code, Monterey and Boden was accused of being dead because of the
gun fight and the incident in the railroad has been informed to the Sherriff.
Everyone was so frustrated. They are all thinking about who was the traitor who spread the
news. And then Mr. Klemme said that he saw Mr. Crew the other day leaving the telegraph office
suspiciously. Everyone decided to force Mr. Crew to leave the town in the next few days.
On the other side, the people in another town send a petition, documents, request to the Red
Rock Railroad Company to make the train stop at Florence. Mr. Rimm was not happy about it but
when the amount of people who wants it to happen grew larger, and the investors join in, he has no
other choice but to make the train stop in the town.
Mrs. Shades feel that Florence doesn’t need her anymore, so she told Mr. Klemme that she
will going to leave the town. She told him that she has nothing. No shelter, no food and no money.
She has no where to live. She started to pack her things but Mr. Klemme stop her.
Mr. Klemme told Mrs. Shades that leaving is not necessary. He could provide her everything
she need and that she could live with him. That’s when Mrs. Shade conclude that Mr. Klemme
propose to her.
When Monday Morning went to the publishing house, he saw Nathaniel Rimm staring at the
middle of the room. Rimm was sorry for leaving him behind and that he wants to start again and
publish another editorial. While they are having their conversation, they came to the topic about
changing names. Monday morning decided to change his name to Sunday Morning. That’s the time
when Nathaniel Rimm suggested to change the name of the town from Florence to Olive.
The day of the wedding came. Everyone was busy doing their part. Mrs. Shades wears a very
classic white gown with the help of other women. While the groom, Mr. Klemme wears a suit
together with the other men.
The time has come, the bride and all the guest is already at the church tent. Few minutes already
passed but Mr. Klemme was nowhere to be found. Until a lady with her 2 children arrived and asking
everyone knows where Mr. Klemme is. One of the Florentine ask if who she is and the lady said that
she was Mrs. Klemme.
Everyone was shocked knowing that Mr. Klemme already has a wife and children. All they ever
know is that he was single and alone. Mrs. Klemme also told them that her husband also works for
Mr. Rimm and While all of them was in shock, another Florentine arrived all sweat and he told that
Mr. Klemme were nowhere to be found.
Hulbert realizes that Mrs. Shades loves Mr. Crew. So she send her daughter to the station to
deliver his message.
The town regain its joy. Jake Monterey became the new sheriff. Mrs. Shades became Mrs. Crew
and they lived somewhere else. Miss May who applied for being the new teacher were being hate by
the children because of reading and sums.

So, after all, the train continues to stop.