The Secret Subway

Illustrated by Red Nose Studio
From an acclaimed author and a New York Times Best Illustrated artist comes the fascinating, little-known—and true!—story of New York City’s first subway.
 
New York City in the 1860s was a mess: crowded, disgusting, filled with garbage. You see, way back in 1860, there were no subways, just cobblestone streets. That is, until Alfred Ely Beach had the idea for a fan-powered train that would travel underground. On February 26, 1870, after fifty-eight days of drilling and painting and plastering, Beach unveiled his masterpiece—and throngs of visitors took turns swooshing down the track.
 
The Secret Subway will wow readers, just as Beach’s underground train wowed riders over a century ago.

A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, 2016
  • SELECTION | 2017
    Amazon Best of the Month
  • SELECTION | 2017
    CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers
  • SELECTION | 2017
    NSTA-CBC - Outstanding Science Trade Book
  • SELECTION | 2016
    Amazon Best of the Month
Shana Corey is the author of the Step into Reading books Boats (Step 1), Monster Parade (Step 2), and Paul Revere’s Ride (Step 3) as well as You Forgot Your SkirtAmelia BloomerMilly and the Macy’s ParadePlayers in Pigtails, and Mermaid Queen (Scholastic). She was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author in 2000. She lives in Brooklyn. View titles by Shana Corey
Chris Sickels is the creative force behind the award-winning Red Nose Studio. He has illustrated countless picture books, including Jonah Winter's Elvis Is King! which received two starred reviews, as well as Shana Corey's The Secret Subway, which received three starred reviews and was selected as an Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year. The New York Times called Here Comes the Garbage Barge a "glorious visual treat" and awarded it the Best Illustrated Book Award. Chris builds his 3-D illustrations with wire, fabric, wood, found objects, and more. His work has appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and as a poster for the NYC subway. The Society of Illustrators has awarded him three gold medals and a silver medal, along with the Hamilton King Award, for both his illustrative and motion work. View titles by Red Nose Studio

Educator Guide for The Secret Subway

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

About

From an acclaimed author and a New York Times Best Illustrated artist comes the fascinating, little-known—and true!—story of New York City’s first subway.
 
New York City in the 1860s was a mess: crowded, disgusting, filled with garbage. You see, way back in 1860, there were no subways, just cobblestone streets. That is, until Alfred Ely Beach had the idea for a fan-powered train that would travel underground. On February 26, 1870, after fifty-eight days of drilling and painting and plastering, Beach unveiled his masterpiece—and throngs of visitors took turns swooshing down the track.
 
The Secret Subway will wow readers, just as Beach’s underground train wowed riders over a century ago.

A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, 2016

Awards

  • SELECTION | 2017
    Amazon Best of the Month
  • SELECTION | 2017
    CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers
  • SELECTION | 2017
    NSTA-CBC - Outstanding Science Trade Book
  • SELECTION | 2016
    Amazon Best of the Month

Author

Shana Corey is the author of the Step into Reading books Boats (Step 1), Monster Parade (Step 2), and Paul Revere’s Ride (Step 3) as well as You Forgot Your SkirtAmelia BloomerMilly and the Macy’s ParadePlayers in Pigtails, and Mermaid Queen (Scholastic). She was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author in 2000. She lives in Brooklyn. View titles by Shana Corey
Chris Sickels is the creative force behind the award-winning Red Nose Studio. He has illustrated countless picture books, including Jonah Winter's Elvis Is King! which received two starred reviews, as well as Shana Corey's The Secret Subway, which received three starred reviews and was selected as an Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year. The New York Times called Here Comes the Garbage Barge a "glorious visual treat" and awarded it the Best Illustrated Book Award. Chris builds his 3-D illustrations with wire, fabric, wood, found objects, and more. His work has appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and as a poster for the NYC subway. The Society of Illustrators has awarded him three gold medals and a silver medal, along with the Hamilton King Award, for both his illustrative and motion work. View titles by Red Nose Studio

Guides

Educator Guide for The Secret Subway

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)