When Michael and his grandmother board a train for his first train ride, the conductor directs them to the "colored only" section. But when the train pulls out of Atlanta, the signs come down, and a boy from the "whites only" section runs up to Michael, inviting him to explore. How come Michael can go as he pleases in some states, but has to sit in segregated sections in others? Based on author Michael S. Bandy's own recollections of taking the...

On his first train ride, Michael meets a new friend from the whites only car - but finds they can hang together for only part of the trip - in the last story in a trilogy about the author's life growing up in the segregated South. Michael and his granddaddy always stop working to watch the trains as they rush by their Alabama farm on the way to distant places. One day Michael gets what he's always dreamed of: his first train journey, to visit cousins...

Life on the farm with Granddaddy is full of hard work, but despite all the chores, Granddaddy always makes time for play, especially fishing trips. Even when there isn't a bite to catch, he reminds young Michael that it takes patience to get what's coming to you. One morning, when Granddaddy heads into town in his fancy suit, Michael knows that something very special must be happening and sure enough, everyone is lined up at the town hall! For the...