"This has got to be the craziest thing I've ever done."
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Train Flight Moon Man by Elizabeth Newton Trafford Publishing
book review by Cynthia Collins
Evie is a typical fourteen-year-old who is curious about everything and loves adventure. She, her older brother James, and friend Lisa, are on their way to Summer Camp when the car James is driving has a flat tire. While waiting for her brother to change the tire, Evie stretches her legs but stays close enough she can still see the car. That's when a train suddenly materializes and a man wearing goggles steps out. She's not sure what to think of this man so she turns to go back to where her brother stopped the car. She discovers that James, Lisa, and the car are no longer there. They have vanished leaving her alone on this deserted road. The only other person around is the man from the train.
Even though she's been told not to trust strangers, she decides to take him up on his offer to help find her brother and friend. She boards the train and is transported through space, outside the Earth's atmosphere, among planets, stars, galaxies, and satellites. The stranger, who introduces himself as "the Captain," is on a mission to save the world which includes rescuing James and Lisa.
This time-traveling, science fiction adventure for young teens has Christian themes reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. It has monsters, chase scenes, and split-second escapes. However, the story slows down with the occasional religious dialogue and quotations from the Bible.